Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lloyd had to admit, the Tornado of Creation was pretty awesome, even if it did almost kill him.

The only time he had ever seen it was when the Four used it to build the Ultra Sonic Raider. That had been years ago, and Lloyd had been too young and too scared to appreciate its incredible power. The theft of the Golden Weapons meant there wasn’t going to be another one any time soon. No one had really thought about it again after that. At least, not until Master Wu had a picture of it painted on the monastery wall.

Now, having been a part of one, Lloyd realized exactly why it was a part of the mural. That thing was freaking amazing. It was also incredibly dangerous. The near-death experience was proof enough of that. He briefly wondered if the Four had any idea how close they were to disaster every time they made one. The answer was probably no, but that wouldn’t have stopped them. Charging headfirst into danger with the concept of a plan was kind of their thing.

Lloyd surveyed the damage as the others ushered him into the monastery. For being so big, the Tornado didn’t really do much except throw around the already broken pieces of the gate and blow dust everywhere. It was kind of amazing that so much raw power could do so little damage.

The others couldn’t quite get him inside before he caught a glimpse of his dad leaving. Again. He wanted to be angry about it. He wanted to be upset that after everything they had been through the last two days his dad still hadn’t changed. He couldn’t be anything other than relieved, though. The Garmadon that was walking out wasn’t a good person, but at least he was alive. Lloyd couldn’t forgive himself for what happened to his father when they drowned The Preeminent. At least this time he made it out in one piece. They would probably have to fight him in the future – without any lingering sentimentality to ease the blows – but that was ok. It was a problem for another day.

Misako joined Wu outside the walls after Lloyd had been shepherded into the common room. The old master had watched Garmadon descend the mountain steps and hadn’t moved since.

“You know, even though only the evil part was brought back, sometimes I could still see the good in him.” She said. Wu hummed in acknowledgement. As hard as it was for her to watch him go again, she couldn’t imagine what Wu was feeling. They had been doing this dance – saving the world then splitting up – forever. It should have been routine, but Misako knew that it still hurt him to watch Garmadon leave.

“He was, and will always be, my brother. Though only the darkest parts of him walk this realm, nothing can change that fact.”

Misako didn’t miss the world-weary sigh or the small smile. She pulled Wu into a half hug, and the pair stared into the distance in silence.

Around the time the sky started to turn shades of red, the ninja returned from whatever they had been doing to her son. Misako heard them before she saw them. Cole and Zane’s grunts echoed around the courtyard as they moved the larger pieces of the gate into a pile. Nya was yelling at Kai for something. Kai wasn’t the least bit ashamed of whatever he had done if the laughter was anything to go by. Misako distantly wondered how they passed for ninja when they were always so loud. Lloyd, however, was quiet as a church mouse. She barely noticed when he appeared at her side.

“Do you think we’ll ever see him again?” He asked nervously. Misako didn’t know how to answer. She wanted to say no. The Garmadon she married was gone. The Garmadon that was Lloyd’s father was gone. Unlike Wu she didn’t hold the same feelings towards the creature that now used his name. She couldn’t tell Lloyd that. He still held out hope that Garmadon could change, and she couldn’t throw cold water on it.

“Yes. I am confident that one day we will see him again. Both the man that now wanders these lands and the one that gave us you.” Wu said with quiet confidence.

For better or worse, Misako was sure he was right. Garmadon couldn’t stay away forever. Who knew? Maybe things would be different. She hadn’t believed in miracles before, but the ninja had shown her they were possible. Maybe there was one more out there for the man that needed one the most.

The last rays of sunlight were starting to dim before the trio made their way back towards the monastery. The boys had piled the biggest pieces of debris by the entryway. The some of the smaller scraps were stacked by monastery door for firewood. The rest were heaped near the dragon statue. Judging by the hot dogs in Nya’s hands and the bag of marshmallows placed way too close to Cole, they were going to use the third pile for a bonfire. Or at least try. Kai couldn’t get the fire started.

“Having trouble with the fire, Kai?” Lloyd teased. Kai groaned and Nya started snickering after another failed attempt.

“I don’t. Want to. Talk about it. Dammit!” Kai grumbled between match strikes. He tried twice more before giving up and hurling the matchbox at the far wall. Nya started cracking up, and Lloyd was a little worried Cole was going to choke on his mouthful of marshmallow.

“It seems the Tornado of Creation used more power than expected when it banished the Oni. Neither Cole nor I have been able to access our elemental abilities.” Zane said as he exited the monastery. He had a tray of drinks in one hand and a roll of blankets in the other. Lloyd could feel the exhaustion; he didn’t need to try to know his powers wouldn’t respond.

“Yeah, the Golden Weapons are powered down too. Usually I can feel the Scythe pull on me when I pick it up, but it didn’t do anything when I went to put it away,” Cole added. Wu stroked his beard and gazed into the gathering darkness. Lloyd had seen that motion enough to know that he was either going to drop a deep piece of wisdom that they wouldn’t understand until they absolutely needed to, or he was about to go on a quest.

“I am at a loss. It should not be possible to strip the Weapons of their powers. This will require further investigation,” Wu replied.

Quest it is.

Kai was trying to start the fire with his mind when Nya suddenly stopped laughing. Lloyd followed her eyes as they moved from one ninja to the next. Whatever she saw drained the color from her face. Her eyes darted around again before eventually sticking on Lloyd. She was about to say something when the bonfire exploded into life. Kai yelped, stumbled, and landed on his backside. Cole dissolved into a fit a laughter. Zane just stood there with an innocent smile, holding a lighter and a can of WD40. Lloyd caught his mother quietly giggling to herself. It even broke Wu out of his thoughts. Nya didn’t react though, and that was enough to keep Lloyd grounded.

“Hey guys? Has anyone seen Jay?” she asked. Lloyd could see the anxiety in her eyes. Now that she mentioned it, he had seen or heard from Jay either. A near death experience was a pretty good excuse, but Lloyd felt terrible that he somehow didn’t notice Jay of all people wasn’t around. Everyone else started to come back to themselves as they processed the question.

“I’m sure he’s fine sis. He’s probably just inside taking a nap or something.” Kai tried to be reassuring. For once it wasn’t working.

“I don’t think so Kai. I have no record of seeing Jay since this morning. In fact, the last recorded memory I have of him is right before he joined the Tornado of Creation.” Zane countered. Lloyd could feel himself turn as green as his gi. Cole’s gaze hardened as he started a silent conversation with Kai and Zane. His mom’s eyes went wide, and Wu looked like he had aged a hundred years in the last hundred seconds. Nya handled it better than expected; rather than breaking down, she started picking up pieces of scrap and chucking them over the wall.

The only sounds for a long time were the crackling of the fire and thump of planks returning from orbit. Wu eventually stood up, head bowed so far it looked like he might tip over. “It seems that my journey will have to start sooner than I expected,” was all he said before disappearing into the monastery. Misako followed, concern written on her face. Whether that was for Jay or Wu, Lloyd wasn’t sure. As soon as she left, he felt three pairs of eyes fall on him.

Lloyd gulped as Cole, Zane, and Kai looked at him expectantly. Cole’s recent not-death, Zane’s actual death, and the Four’s not-really-but-might-as-well-have-been deaths were fresh on his mind. They survived losing Cole because there wasn’t time to think about it. Lloyd had almost given up when the Four went missing, but Nya and the need to defend Ninjago City had kept him going. Zane’s destruction had broken the team though. He hadn’t been enough to keep them together then, and he was terrified he wouldn’t be enough now.

“We’re going to find him,” Nya said before Lloyd could find his words. “We’re going to find him, then I’m going to chew his ass for disappearing. Then we’re going to build a pillow fort, watch cheesy movies, and pass out after eating so much popcorn that Zane starts to get worried about how much salt we’re eating.” Each statement was punctuated by the sound of a board echoing as it made contact with the earth.

“Hell yeah! If we can fuck up a bunch of Oni then we can find one loudmouth, smartass ninja that still sleeps with a teddy bear!” Kai yelled.

Nya tossed one more chunk of wood before turning her anger on Kai. While she was tearing into him for insulting her Yin, Lloyd felt Cole’s firm but gentle grip on his shoulder. It was one of those ‘you’re gonna be ok’ kind of squeezes that the big man liked to give when he knew someone was drowning. Zane just gave him a thumbs up. Their support brought Lloyd back from the edge of panic. Nya was right. Losing their mind at the first sign of trouble was Jay’s thing. They had to be stronger than that right now. For him.

The mood was ruined when the last chunk of wood came back down. Three things happened on the other side of the wall after its impact: the surprised cry of a chicken, a yelp, and a bolt of lightning arcing into the sky from where Lloyd assumed the board landed. Everyone in the courtyard went still. Hurried footsteps sounded from the monastery, and a haunted-looking Wu appeared in the doorway.

“What was that!?” He whisper-yelled. Three fingers immediately pointed and Nya, while Kai just put his hands in the air. Nya folded her arms and gave the other three a hard glare.

“I’m sorry Master Wu. It won’t happen again.” Nya said with a soft bow.

“There are high dangerous, highly aggressive predators that live in the hills surrounding this monastery. It is imperative that we do not disturb them if we can help it.” Wu warned. All five turned and bowed to him, each muttering words of apology and affirmation that it wouldn’t happen again. Lloyd knew they hadn’t spent that much time at the monastery, but he wondered why this hadn’t come up in the decade they spent together. Zane speaking interrupted that train of thought.

“Master, are there other people that live in these mountains? We heard the call of a chicken, but we also heard a distinctly human sound of surprise.”

“…no Zane. We are the only ones.”

It took Lloyd two seconds to get what Zane was implying. Nya came to the same conclusion and was already moving. She tore through the gate and around the wall towards where the board landed with Lloyd hot on her heels and Cole and Kai not far behind. The group rounded the corner in time to see Wu putting something in a box and Zane staring over the side of the cliff.

“How did you…” Kai started to ask. Zane pointed at the top of the wall.

“The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.”

Kai just hummed as Nya skidded to a halt next to Zane. Lloyd took the space on his other side. Kai looked over Nya’s shoulder while Cole went to examine the box.

A tree was growing from the side of the cliff. Judging by how it shivered, something was hiding in it.

They weren’t going to get an answer by standing and staring. Someone could free climb down, but there was the risk that one of Wu’s mystery monsters was in it. Lloyd didn’t want to see anyone fighting in a tree hanging off the side of one of the tallest mountains in Ninjago. Getting two people out would also be a problem. Cole could probably do it even without his super strength, but Lloyd wasn’t going to risk losing him for a second time today.

They needed a way to secure whoever went down there. Zane must have been thinking the same thing, because when Lloyd looked over to ask for suggestions the nindroid already had a rope. He wasn’t sure where Zane got it and wasn’t about to ask.

Now that they had a lifeline, his thoughts turned to how to secure it. The only good anchor points were the dragon statue in the courtyard and the posts on the porch, but Zane’s rope wasn’t long enough to reach either of them. Building something would take time, and he didn’t want to leave whatever had taken up residence in the tree down there any longer than necessary. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cole poking at Master Wu’s box. An idea started to form. Cole wasn’t going to like it, but it was their best option.

“Hey Cole! We need your help.” Lloyd called. Cole raised a questioning eyebrow before jogging over.

“What do you need me to…” Cole started to ask. Before he could finish the sentence, Lloyd had tied the rope around his waist. “…do?”

“We need something to secure the line to. Since the rope is too short to reach over the wall and there’s nothing else that stable out here, you’re our best bet,” Lloyd answered with a little smirk. Cole frowned as he looked down at the rope. Lloyd didn’t give him the chance to protest before clearing his throat and drawing the attention of the other ninja. “Alright team, here’s the plan. We need someone to go down there and check out the tree. I tied one end of the line to Cole to act as our anchor. I’ll take the other end and drop down to see what’s in there.”

“Hold on Green Bean, why am I the anchor? I’m the best climber. Shouldn’t I be the one that goes down?” Cole questioned.

“Not this time. You’re one of our heaviest people. We need you up here to make sure the line stays secure.” Lloyd answered. Cole frowned harder, and Kai’s laughter echoed in the background.

“Was that a cake joke?” Cole asked expectantly, arms crossed and one foot tapping. Lloyd felt his ears go red. Could have worded that better.

“In this case, it is only logical. It would be much more difficult for the others to support the weight of you or me than for us to support theirs. Additionally, there may be more weight on return if we must recover a teammate plus whatever is down there. It is better if you and I, being the strongest and heaviest, remain up here while one of the lighter team members descends,” Zane replied much more elegantly. Cole seemed to buy that argument, but he still looked unhappy.

Lloyd went to tie the rope to himself before getting stopped by Kai. He and Nya both had the ‘what do you think you’re doing’ look that Nya usually reserved for Kai.

“Look, I know what you’re going to say…”

“You’re not going down there Lloyd,” they said in unison. Lloyd grimaced before looking to Cole and Zane for support. Cole kept his disapproving frown. Zane just shook his head. Outvoted, he handed the rope to Kai. There was no argument he could make that would overcome their protective instincts, especially when there were other options.

Kai beamed and went to tie the rope around his own waist before Nya stopped him. She gave him the same look they had just given Lloyd. “Nuh uh. You aren’t going down there either. I’m the lightest, and we need your muscle up here in case something goes wrong.”

Lloyd was a little annoyed that Nya had successfully made the same argument that he had been about to make. He was concerned that the siblings might fight over it when Kai didn’t immediately hand over the rope. He was just as protective of Nya as he was of Lloyd and not willing to let her walk into danger if he could do it instead.

“Nya is right, Kai. She is our best option,” Zane said. Kai stalled for a second longer before whispering something in Nya’s ear and giving her the line.

Nya tied herself to the rope and started climbing down to the tree. Cole stood still as a mountain, and Zane grabbed on for extra support. Lloyd and Kai leaned over to watch. It didn’t take long, and soon she disappeared into the leaves. The rustling got more violent for a second, then there was a gasp, and everything stopped. Lloyd waited for any sign of movement. The tree sat still for a few more minutes, and he was about to signal Cole and Zane to pull her up when three sharp tugs jolted the line. The three not tied to the rope started tugging furiously to reel her in. Cole got down on all fours and started crawling in an attempt to get better traction.

Eventually they got her up and back on horizontal ground. The first thing Lloyd noticed were the tears in her eyes. Nya was crying and a quick glance at what she was holding almost made Lloyd do the same. The mop of chocolate brown hair and rumpled blue gi were unmistakable. He had no idea how Jay ended up in a tree, but at least they found him.

Cole and Kai moved in for a group hug before he stopped them. Something wasn’t right. He could feel the elements of all his protectors. Kai’s fire burned hot and passionate, Cole’s earth was solid and ever-present, and Zane’s ice was cool and calming. They had all been dimmer after the Tornado, but still familiar. Jay’s lightning didn’t feel right. It was supposed to be a jolt that spurred new ideas. This felt wrong in a way he couldn’t describe.

When Nya looked up from the tangle of Jay’s hair, Lloyd could tell she wasn’t crying tears of relief. She knew what he was beginning to suspect.

Looks like Master Wu isn’t the only one going on an adventure.

Chapter Text

Lloyd knew it was going to be a weird day before he woke up.

He didn’t usually remember his dreams, but this one was too bizarre to forget. Demon-like creatures were marching up a staircase carved into the side of a mountain. Black as tar and uglier than a Shark Army goon, they kind of reminded him of his dad. The one leading the pack was the nastiest. Massive horns twisted from its head. A permanent scowl twisted its face. Where the others carried axes, hammers, and other weapons, this one had a big stick.

The mountain rose impossibly high. The demons’ march carried them through the clouds until a temple came into view at the summit. Smears of color appeared as the monsters neared the top. Purple, cyan, white, blue, red, green, and gold, the formless streaks were joined by a pale woman wearing some kind of war paint. There was a short exchange between the two sides in a language Lloyd couldn’t understand before everything descended into chaos.

The purple streak launched into the air before slamming down with a wave of destructive energy. The closest demons went flying, but more crawled up the mountainside to take their place. The other colors fought at the temple gates, doing their best to hold the creatures back. They were clearly outmatched. Red and Blue fought hard on the steps, but Cyan and Green were cut off. They were about to be swarmed before Gold came to their rescue.

Everything stopped when the ground started to shake. A black streak erupted from the earth. More words were exchanged before Black sprung into the air and came down hard between where the colors had grouped and the creatures had retreated. The ground rippled and demons were sent flying. Even the leader was thrown into a nearby tree trunk.

It was a turning point, but not a good one. The monsters recovered quickly and forced the colors to retreat behind the temple gates. Lloyd couldn’t see everything, but he heard the wood splinter as the creatures bashed into them. It wasn’t long before they gave way completely.

The battle seemed lost, until a bright light started building from behind the walls. A golden tornado rose above the army of darkness. Lloyd could see flashes of red and green coursing through it. Shards of ice and stone swirled in the funnel. Lightning arced around the outside. The power blew most of the demons into lands unknown. The tornado continued to grow before eventually exploding in a blast of light.

That was when Lloyd woke up. It was early, but going back to sleep wasn’t an option. Whatever that last dream was made sure of it.

After a shower and ten seconds of deciding which green hoodie to wear, he shuffled out to the kitchen for breakfast.

The bowl of Honeyed Oats sat ignored while Lloyd processed his dream. Everything about it felt so real. It was more like a memory. Was he supposed to know what was going on? What were those creatures? What were the colors supposed to be? Why were they fighting? Who won?

The sound of his mom moving around her bedroom spurred him to eat. The cereal had gone soggy, but it was better than the concerned look he would get if she found him stirring instead of consuming. It would suck to start the day worrying her over something as dumb as a dream.

They fell into the usual rhythm when she came out of her room. Dishes were washed, good mornings were said, and a lackluster attempt to get out of going to school was denied. She left with the usual kiss, and he said the usual good-bye. It was like any other Monday morning. If only he could get his head on straight.

It was second period when Lloyd admitted to himself that he needed help. He couldn’t focus. It wasn’t a problem during class – Art History and Geometry weren’t that important to him, and no one paid attention in homeroom anyway – but it had become one during the passing periods. He almost walked into Chen on his way to first period, then accidentally ignored Kai’s high five attempt on the way to second. The latter went unnoticed until Zane said something.

That was when he knew things were going too far. He had to talk to someone, but the list of people that would a) listen and b) be helpful was depressingly short. He had already passed on talking to his mom, and his friends wouldn’t be much help. The school counselor would probably have him committed without a word. Uncle Wu was probably the best bet, but that would have to wait until after school. It was times like these that he wished Wu would let Jay teach him how to use a cell phone.

Things finally got out of hand in fourth period.

It was dodgeball day. Every dodgeball day followed the same script. The class was split into two teams, and they played dodgeball like normal people for about twenty minutes. Lloyd would become a victim of friendly fire at some point. Everyone – whether they were on the other team or not – would then start lobbing balls at him. The rules went out the window and it became seventeen on three.

Lloyd could have avoided everything they threw at him. Ninja training had its perks, and the kids in his class were terrible shots. That would make people suspicious though. Uncle Wu would be disappointed if Lloyd blew his cover playing dodgeball. Instead, Cole and Jay did their best to keep him from dying while he dodged the ones that went for the face. All of them usually left with a few bruises but it was better than the alternative.

Things were bad today. His divided focus made it harder to get out of the way of even the slowest moving balls. Jay and Cole did their best to run interference, but it wasn’t enough. All three were getting smacked around. The teacher would be content to let things go until the bell rang, but he had to call it off after Jay took a hard hit to the face.

His nose was bleeding heavily. Lloyd knew it was probably broken. He volunteered to walk Jay to the nurse’s office. The teacher let them go without a second look. Lloyd felt responsible for it, so the least he could do was make sure his friend was alright. That also meant Cole didn’t have to look after him anymore and could go ham on the other kids for once. They had barely made it out of the gym when the tell-tale crack of a red rubber ball making contact with someone’s flesh rang out. The cries for mommy meant that the infirmary was about to be very busy.

Lloyd didn’t say anything on the way down the hall. He was still consumed with his thoughts and Jay didn’t seem like he wanted to talk anyway. The nurse side eyed him when he tried to explain what happened. Jay’s mumbled affirmation was the only thing that got her to do her job.

“Are you alright?” Jay asked after the nurse left.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. A few bruises but nothing worse than usual.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Jay whispered. Lloyd realized he hadn’t looked at Jay since they left the gym. The poor guy’s nose was bent at an awkward angle, and there was a bruise starting to bloom on the left side of his face. Concern laced his friend’s eyes. It made Lloyd sick knowing that it wasn’t for his own wellbeing.

Then it hit him that this probably wasn’t an accident. Of course Jay noticed that he was off his game. He’d probably taken one to the face on purpose knowing that it would make the game stop. Lloyd’s stomach sank. The last thing he wanted was his friends to get hurt because he couldn’t keep it together.

“Yeah, just got a lot on mind. You don’t need to worry about me,” Lloyd told him. Jay didn’t look like he believed him. Trying to brush it aside only made things worse.

“You know you can talk to me anytime, r-r-right? I know I’m not the best with these kinds of things, but I-I can listen if you need me to,” Jay stammered. Lloyd didn’t know how to respond to that. He was obviously doing worse than he thought on the don’t-worry-your-friends front. Telling Jay that all of this was because of a weird dream didn’t feel like the appropriate thing to say though.

He was spared trying to lie his way out of it by the nurse coming back. He took the opportunity to leave and slipped out with a quick ‘thank you’. The nurse said something that probably wasn’t school appropriate in response. It didn’t matter, it wasn’t meant for her anyway. The worry easing in Jay’s expression meant the message got through.

Waiting to talk to Wu wasn’t an option anymore. Jay was hurt because Lloyd couldn’t keep himself in the present. Nobody else was going to end up on the injured list. He needed to see Wu now, regardless of the consequences.

Mind made up, he rushed to his locker. The transport tube would be risky this close to lunch. He was going to have to chance it though. The longer he waited the more likely someone else would suffer. That proved prophetic when he rounded the corner and plowed into Nya. They tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Her flyers flew in the air and scattered across the hallway.

Nya wasn’t upset. She stood up, dusted herself off, and offered a hand to help him up. It was only after he was back on his feet that Nya gave him ‘the look’. It was the ‘what do you think you’re doing’ look that was normally reserved for Kai.

“H-hey Nya, how’s it going...” he tried. Nya didn’t budge. She just crossed her arms and waited for Lloyd to explain himself.

“Sorry about bumping into you like that. I’ll help you pick up the flyers if you want…”

“Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon you know damn well I’m not upset about the flyers!” Ouch. Now he was getting the look and the mom voice. “Ignoring Kai is one thing. I do it all the time. But then Zane tells me you aren’t paying attention in class. Which, its geometry, but still! That’s not like you at all!”

“Look, Nya, it’s nothing alright. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“But I am worrying about it Lloyd! If something’s bothering you then you gotta let us know so we can help. We’re a team, and we can’t do our job if our leader has his head stuck up his ass.” Nya’s tone left no room for argument. Lloyd knew she wouldn’t let him leave unless he told her what the problem was. He couldn’t do that though. Not yet.

“I promise you I’ll tell you everything soon, but I have to see someone else about it first. I don’t want to worry you guys about something that might be nothing.” Lloyd could tell that wasn’t what she was looking for, but it was the most he was willing to say in the school hallway. “Just trust me on this one. Please.”

Nya backed down after that. Lloyd felt bad playing the 'trust me' card, but he didn’t know what else to do. He really wanted to talk this out with Wu before bringing the others in on it. They could laugh about it later if it turned out to be nothing. The longer the day went on, though, the more he knew it was something. ‘Nothing’ didn’t occupy someone’s attention like this.

He did stay to help Nya pick up her flyers. They were for a shooting range that was opening on the riverfront.

“Pirate themed shooting gallery? I didn’t know you were into that kind of stuff,” Lloyd joked. Mention of the flyer's purpose brightened Nya's mood.

“Yeah, I didn’t think I would be either. But I ran into this guy down at the docks on the way home a couple nights ago and he showed me how it works. You take these water guns and…” Nya’s explanation was cut off the blaring of Lloyd’s least favorite alarm.

“Come on, seriously? Wasn’t he here, like, two days ago?” Nya complained.

“Actually, it has been three days, fourteen hours, fifteen minutes, and fifty-three seconds since Garmadon’s last attack,” Zane – who came out of nowhere – said. Nya screamed and dropped her flyers again. Lloyd clutched his chest and sucked in a deep breath. “My apologies if I frightened you.”

“No, no. You’re good buddy,” Lloyd forced out as he waited for his heartrate to return to normal.

“Dammit Zane, we’re gonna have to put a bell on you,” Nya added.

“But that would be inconvenient for stealth missions.”

Lloyd didn’t get the chance to respond. Kai came flying around the corner and tripped over the kneeling Nya. Cole wasn’t far behind him. The siblings were lucky he put on the breaks at the last second. At least one of them would have been joining Jay in the nurse’s office otherwise.

It didn’t take long to untangle Kai and Nya. She was still giving Lloyd a look on their way to the lockers, but he ignored it. Dealing with Garmadon was more important. Kai was also staring at him. Lloyd had no idea what that was about. He couldn’t be that upset about the missed high five. Right?

There wasn’t time to unpack it. Too many other things fighting for his attention. Like Garmadon.

The ride to the warehouse was quick. The ninja sprinted from the tubes to their mechs in record time. Nobody was in the mood for Garmadon’s nonsense today.

“Ninja team, shout out your call signs! Kai, it’s all you!”

“Fire Mech, ready and standing! You got it sis!”

“Water Mech, ready and standing by! Take it away Zane!”

“Ice Mech. Loading. Loading. Loading. Standing by.”

“Ok Jay, you’re up buddy,” Lloyd called.

“…”

“…Has anyone seen Jay?” Nya asked.

“Nurse’s office,” Lloyd and Cole said simultaneously. Lloyd flinched a little. Cole just shrugged but shot him a look that Lloyd wasn’t ready to deal with.

“It was dodgeball day today,” Cole added. The other three gave an understanding ‘ohhh’.

“Moving on, Cole, you’re next.”

“Earth Mech, tables spinning and tunes loaded!”

“Green Ninja, ready and standing by,” Lloyd finished. The crew gave a big whoop, and that was the sign they were all officially ready. “All ninja, hit it!”

The team sped off into the city, ready to confront whatever Garmadon had planned. Lloyd finally managed to shove his dream to the back of his mind. It sucked that it took the city being in danger for that to happen, but he couldn’t complain. There was a job to do.

Wu watched as his students raced off to confront his brother. It hurt that ones so young had to fight his battles for him. However, there was nothing to be done. The army was too much for one old ninja master to handle. It wasn’t that they were good – or even competent – but there were just too many men. That was part of the reason he had sought out the children. The five of them could handle Garmadon’s numbers with the help of the mechs. Lloyd had proven to be capable of dealing with his father. Wu suspected part of that was Garmadon not actually trying that hard, but he wasn’t going to tell Lloyd. The warlord wouldn’t acknowledge it, but he had to know who was under the green hood.

Their training was a problem. The group was over-reliant on their mechs. The mechanical monstrosities were good for the war they were fighting, but too often they used them as crutches. There would come a day when the kids would have to fight the old-fashioned way. They weren’t ready for that. The way things were going, they might never be.

He was about to make a pot of tea when he realized only five mechs left the warehouse. Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Green…

Where was Lightning? Jay had always been a bit slower than his teammates. Most of that was fear. The poor boy wasn’t a hero in the way the other five were. Everyone knew it, and Wu was proud of his students for being patient with their teammate. He was also proud of Jay for continuing to go out there even though he was obviously terrified.

The Lightning Jet still hung where it had last been parked. Its pilot was nowhere to be found. Wu frowned. The ninja didn’t get injured often, but even when they couldn’t operate their mechs they still stayed in the warehouse and monitored the battle from the computer. It was possible Jay was otherwise preoccupied, but a Garmadon attack should take priority over anything else. He couldn’t call the boy to find out. Not letting them teach him how to use a phone might have been a mistake.

He decided to wait in the warehouse. Jay might show up, and he wanted to be there to express his disappointment in the late arrival. The couch was also more comfortable to meditate on than the mat. It would have been nice to see what the kids were doing, but using the computer was another explanation he hadn’t bothered to listen to. Maybe the students were learning from the master after all.

A chill wind blew through the building not long after he’d settled into the cushions. A single orange and red leaf rode the gust, settling on his lap. Wu knew that wind. The bone chilling yet soft breeze was unmistakable for someone who grew up in it. There were only so many places in Ninjago that one could feel it. And the leaf…

He had to leave. The Jet would have been fastest, but Jay was the only one that could pilot it. The Bounty would have to do. Hopefully he made it there in time. Something was coming, and he needed to be there to meet it.

Garmadon’s attack was the same as always. The only reason it was remotely challenging was because they didn’t have any air support. Lloyd had expected Jay to show up sometime in the middle of the fight. The poor guy must be worse off than he thought. Who knew a dodgeball could do that much damage?

The other four landed and disembarked before Lloyd. The fight lasted through the end of the school day, so no one was in any kind of hurry to go back. Lloyd did a final systems check before sliding off the mech and into an ambush. All four of his teammates were on him before his feet touched the ground.

Lloyd had kind of expected this. Kai was probably mad about being blown off that morning, and he already had a run in with Nya. Zane and Cole had to have seen something wasn’t right. “Hey guys, how’s it going…”

“Don’t even try it, Lloyd,” Kai barked. Lloyd shrunk a bit at the tone. Oh, he was in real trouble.

“Yeah, what’s been going on with you today man?” Cole asked.

“You have been acting abnormally all day,” Zane added. Lloyd just put his hands up and backed up as far as his mech would let him. He looked to Nya for support as a last-ditch effort. She just folded her arms and shook her head.

“Look, guys, it’s nothing. Ok? Just something I wanted to talk with Master Wu about before I got you guys involved,” he said. That was enough to placate Cole and Zane. Nya backed off but still wasn’t happy. They were willing to buy that line one more time. Kai however…

“What could be so important that you blew us off all day!? What could be so important that you want to talk to Wu about it instead of us!?” Kai flamed. Zane took a half step back at the outburst. Cole leaned more of his weight on the mech. Nya was unfazed.

“Its…”

“Don’t you dare say it’s ‘nothing’. It’s gotta be something if you’re gonna go the whole damn day without even talking to us!” Kai yelled. He was in Lloyd’s face now, close enough that he would have been able to smell his lunch if any of them had eaten since this morning.

He should have seen this coming. The Garmadon attack was the only reason the outburst didn’t happen sooner, and Lloyd was kicking himself for not thinking about it.

It was no secret he was an easy target for bullies. Kai had been one of them at one point. He’d changed after he got to know Lloyd as a person and not an idea. It had been a long and rocky road to friendship, but at the end of it, Kai had made it his personal mission to deal with the kids that got a little too rough. Now, seeing Lloyd withdrawn and unfocused, he was probably having flashbacks to how things used to be.

All of his friends were protective like that. Cole was an excellent deterrent because of his size and unusual strength. Nya was downright scary when she got angry. Zane had a way of weirding people out enough that they didn’t want to bother him. Even Jay would step in when the situation demanded. It usually meant he took the abuse intended for Lloyd, but he never complained. Just like in dodgeball this morning.

Kai was something else though. The rest of the crew relied on word and size to scare off bullies. Kai was a man of action. Retribution in some form always followed when he found out someone was messing with Lloyd. Watching the easygoing mask slip off was a little terrifying, and Lloyd was glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of the fury.

The others were a shield, but Kai was a sword. A very sharp sword.

“It’s not bullies Kai, I promise. This is a me thing. I just, it’s something I don’t know how to deal with. I wanted to talk to Wu first because it felt like something he might know how about, and I didn’t want to worry you guys with something you couldn’t help with,” Lloyd blurted out. That was enough to temper Kai’s fire. He didn’t like the looks Nya and Cole were throwing at him, but they were expected. It was why he didn’t say anything in the first place. “I know you guys are here for me, and I’m sorry I made you worry. It’s just, it’s so stupid that I didn’t want to bring it up.”

“It’s not stupid if it’s bothering you bro. I get it, you didn’t want us fussing over you, but that’s kind of our job dude. What kind of friends would we be if we let you suffer alone?” Cole said as he moved in closer.

“Affirmative. Our job is not just to protect you in battle but also be there for you in civilian life as normal teenage friends,” Zane added.

Nya had spoken her mind earlier and was content to give him a thumbs up from the background.

Kai looked at him wearily. It would take more than words to ease his mind.

“Go talk to the old man. We want to hear all about what’s got you so airheaded today,” he said instead.

Lloyd nodded once, then turned to walk onto the Bounty. Except it wasn’t there. Wu had left, and probably didn’t leave a note explaining where he was going or when he would be back. Deciphering the dream was going to have to wait. So was telling his friends about it.

Rats.

Chapter Text

Jay was panicking.

He expected a lot of things to happen today. Getting pelted by dodgeballs, a Garmadon attack, and saying something dumb in front of Nya were all on the list. Taking the transport tube and ending up in a tree was not.

His first thought was that the line got interrupted in the attack. Maybe one of Garmadon’s mechs ruptured the pipe and it ended up launching him somewhere it wasn’t supposed to go. That wouldn’t be good – it would be really, really bad, actually– but at least it was fixable. Broken pipes were something he could fix. Compared to the Lightning Jet it would be a piece of cake.

He hoped he was in the park. There were only so many trees in Ninjago City, and the only ones near the tube were in the park. That was fine. It wasn’t that close to the warehouse, and dodging the Shark Army wouldn’t be easy, but still a doable journey. The real problem would be figuring out how to keep people from discovering their emergency transport system. It could compromise the warehouse if someone followed it that way. It could also jeopardize their secret identities if someone followed it to school. Someone would probably get hurt trying to do either. That could end the Secret Ninja Force all together.

Letting that happen wasn’t an option. Being a ninja was the only thing he had going for him. Losing it because of some bad plumbing was not an option.

Jay had almost wiggled out of the nest of branches when he realized something wasn’t right. The air was cooler and cleaner than it ever was in the city. Birds chirped in the distance, which was something that normally got drowned out by the blaring of car horns and the noise of the people. Clouds drifted below him, lazily passing around the mountain tops.

Wait a minute. Ninjago City didn’t have mountains, and clouds weren’t supposed to be below him.

A quick check confirmed that the ground was nowhere in sight. Jay realized he had almost shimmed into a very long fall.

It was said that people saw their lives flash before their eyes during a near death experience. Jay only saw the last 49 minutes.

Dodgeball day was the worst. It was ok until people started ganging up on Lloyd. The poor guy did his best, but there was only so much he could do without raising suspicion. Keeping up the appearance of being a normal teenager was too important. That meant getting pelted with hard rubber balls. Jay and Cole knew it, but that didn’t mean they were going to sit back and watch.

The balls didn’t bother Cole. Nobody in their grade could throw one hard enough to even make him flinch. All he had to do was stand there and let them bounce off. Jay had to move and try to deflect one ball with another. The other kids didn’t target him as much, but he still took a lot of hits trying to shield Lloyd.

It was always a challenge but today had been extra bad. Lloyd was barely trying to get out of the way. It forced Cole to move to block a lot of the balls. Jay did his best, but it was just too hard. When one especially hard throw managed to bypass Cole and come close enough to move Lloyd’s hair, he knew they had to get out of there.

Class wasn’t close to being done, and so the only way out was either a GarmAlarm or an injury. They couldn’t count on a Garmadon attack coming at a useful time, so injury it was. Jay wasn’t about to let Lloyd get hurt though. When the next ball thrown at shoulder level whizzed towards them, he stepped up and put his face in the line of fire. Pain blossomed from his nose. It didn’t take a doctor to know that it was broken. At least it got them out of the shooting gallery.

Lloyd volunteered to walk him to the nurse’s office. The plan worked, even though the cost sucked.

Jay had to keep his head elevated to avoid bleeding all over the hallway. Lloyd didn’t say anything during the walk. Jay wanted to ask about what was going on but couldn’t find the words. This was more of Kai or Nya’s department. He was the tech guy, and Lloyd wasn’t a machine he could run diagnostics on. So they walked in silence instead, listening to the screams of the poor kids Cole deemed responsible for the mess.

It wasn’t until they were in the infirmary that Jay decided he needed to say something. Zane mentioned that Lloyd was out of it today, but this was downright scary.

“Are you ok?” he asked. Far from elegant, but that was the best he could come up with.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. A few bruises but nothing worse than usual,” Lloyd replied. He didn’t even bother to look over when he said it. Even though he wasn’t wearing it, Jay reflexively tried to shrink into his scarf. Lloyd never brushed him off like that. There was something really wrong, and Jay had no hope of figuring it out.

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

He didn’t mean to say that out loud, but it got Lloyd to finally look at him. Jay saw the surprise on his friend’s face before it turned into shame. Did Lloyd really think he didn’t notice? The whole school – or at least the kids that cared – noticed.

“Yeah, just got a lot on my mind. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Jay knew it was a lie, no matter how much Lloyd wanted to believe otherwise. It stung that Lloyd didn’t trust him enough to talk it out. They were friends, right? Had Jay done something to anger him? Outside of the pudding cup mix-up last Thursday he couldn’t think of anything. Was it ninja related? Was he not doing a good enough job? Did Lloyd finally decide he didn’t need him?

“Y-you know you can talk to me anytime, r-r-right? I know I’m not the best with these kinds of things, but I-I can listen if you need me t-to.” Jay stuttered. He was trying not to panic and failing hard.

The nurse's return marked the end of their conversation. Lloyd bolted as soon as he got the chance. His ‘thank you’ was almost lost in the nurse’s derogatory muttering, but Jay knew it wasn’t for her. Lloyd apparently appreciated Jay’s subpar attempt at communication.

Fifteen minutes later the worst possible sound rang through the building. He resisted the urge to bang his head on the bench. The nose was enough to keep him sidelined; adding a concussion to it wouldn’t help.

The others could handle things without him. Lloyd was good enough with the Dragon Mech to handle air support duties, and it wasn’t like Jay helped that much on the ground. Really it would be better if he stayed here and let it heal.

The thought was dismissed almost as soon as it crossed his mind. The others could handle Garmadon on their own, but he would never forgive himself if they did need him for some reason and he wasn’t there.

The nurse locked herself in the bathroom as soon as the alarm went off, so Jay was free to leave without having to think of an excuse. It was a quick walk from the infirmary to his locker. From there the transport tube would take him to…

… a tree. In the middle of nowhere.

So, Jay was panicking. Rightfully so.

He didn’t know how long he had been stuck. It was light outside when he crashed in, but now the sky was starting to grow dark. There were voices in the distance. The shouts and laughs meant people were nearby. People should have been a good thing, but he was too scared to call for help. What if they weren’t friendly? What if they weren’t people? It was safer to wait until it was quiet to try to escape.

Besides, the chicken was still there. He had seen it one of the few times he dared stick his head out. The bird was nesting on the cliff above the base of the tree. There was a spark of something in its eyes, and Jay did not want to find out what it was.

Twilight eventually turned to dusk, and it was starting to get cold. There was a whoosh followed by the familiar crackle of a fire. It reminded him of Kai’s flamethrowers, and the time he accidentally set fire to a box truck full of lighter fluid.

The voices howled in laughter, just like his friends had that day. Jay was so caught up thinking about them that he almost missed everything going quiet.

The abrupt drop in noise was unsettling. Jay was weighing trying to make an escape, but the sound of something landing on the cliff above made him reconsider. Angry yelling accompanied more objects crashing down. A few of them hit the tree, and Jay wondered if he had been found.

He poked his head out of the leaves, curiosity winning out over survival instinct. Pieces of wood were falling from the sky. More accurately, pieces of wood were being launched from somewhere and falling on the cliffside. The only other living thing in the area was the chicken, so Jay figured the attack probably wasn’t aimed at him. He decided to wait out the storm. With any luck nature would get bored of throwing boards soon and he could sneak away under the cover of darkness.

Fate had other plans. The largest chunk yet dropped near the chicken. The bird, feeling threatened, let out a squawk. Jay had seen a lot of weird things fighting the Shark Army, but a chicken turning into a lightning spirit took the cake. He yelped and ducked back into the tree. The situation was bad enough without drawing the attention of an electric devil hen.

He really started to panic when the sounds got closer. Something was wrestling with the chicken, and a lot of somethings were making their way towards the cliff. The voices were close enough to make out what they were saying, but he was too scared to process the words. They were planning something, and most of them weren’t happy.

He was about to be found. Jay had no idea if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The tenor of the conversation wasn’t reassuring. There was nothing he could do. The hopelessness threatened to bury him. He missed his friends, he missed his mom, he missed Master Wu. Jay had been holding it together, but knowing he was probably going to die without anyone knowing what happened to him was the final straw.

Jay curled into a ball and started to cry. It was the only emotion that would come out. He wasn’t brave like Kai or Nya or Lloyd. He wasn’t cool (figuratively) like Cole or (literally) Zane. He was just Jay, and he was about to meet his end sobbing into a dirty gym shirt.

Something landed on the trunk of the tree. It was light, almost undetectable. Jay would have been impressed had he not been busy falling apart. The leaves parted, and there was a gasp. Jay risked a look at the thing about to destroy him. Nya’s shocked face stared back. She was as beautiful as always, even when she was clearly terrified.

Of course his crush was the one to find him like this. Of course she was mortified by it.

The shame might have killed him if he wasn’t already an emotional mess. He rolled back into ball form, hoping to get small enough that Nya would lose him in the leaves. She didn’t, and the sound of her choking up made him feel weird.

Nya liked him as a friend. Maybe. Hopefully. These weren’t the sounds of someone that just found a friend they lost for a couple of hours. The hug she gave didn’t fit the category either. Jay could hear her whispering in his ear, but he was too stunned to understand. Nya had never hugged him before. Not one on one at least. He wanted to melt into it and just let her hold him until the end of time.

She started crying with him at some point. It was then that Jay realized something wasn’t right. Nya never cried. Not during the sappiest of movies. Not when she broke her arm building the Water Strider. She didn’t even cry during the Onion Incident that still haunted the first year class. The fact that she couldn’t stop herself now – over him – was a red flag. The hug was another one. She was squeezing him harder than Kai usually did. Jay knew Nya was strong, but this was ridiculous.

She must have picked up on his doubts. She relaxed the hold and gave him a once over. Jay got a good look at her too and would have started crying again if there were any tears left to shed.

They looked the same, but this wasn’t his Nya. She was too old. The wear of time was subtle but evident. He had spent way too much time looking at her over the last two years to miss the new wrinkles and scars. The woman holding him had to be at least 5 years older than the one he’d seen this morning, if not more. The clothes were all wrong too. Gone was the usual leather jacket and jeans. In their place was a red gi embroidered with a golden dragon. His Nya would never wear something like that – not only was there not enough black, but they were Kai’s colors. He would have teased her relentlessly over it.

The look on her face told him he wasn’t what she was expecting either. Whether it was a lover or her brother, Jay wasn’t sure. He could read the disappointment though. It was a familiar expression.

Watching her tears of joy turn into ones of sadness was enough to break Jay’s heart all over again. He felt her tug on something, and then they started to move. He didn’t care. The emotional rollercoaster had taken its toll. Jay just held on tight, ready to let the world do whatever it was going to do.

Nya wasn’t disappointed. She was hoping to find Jay clinging to the side of the cliff. And she did – just not the one she was expecting. That was fine.

Except it wasn’t.

Alarm bells should have been going off immediately. Jay would have been more than capable of getting out of that tree on his own. Even if he hadn’t, her Yin would have been screaming until they came to the rescue. He would have jumped into her arms when she got close to him. He would have hugged her back. He wouldn’t have cried. It wasn’t a secret that Jay was easily overwhelmed. His breakdowns were legendary, but even at their worst they rarely involved tears. This Jay had been bawling before she got to him.

No, she wasn’t disappointed. She was just sad. It wasn’t because her hopes had been crushed. This was a setback but not the end of the road. The path they traveled wasn’t a straight line, and this was just one of its many bends.

Nya was sad for this Jay, not because of him. His nose had been broken recently. They had all been there enough to know it. A black eye had bloomed around his left eye. This kid had been having a bad day before winding up here. Moreover, he was just that – a kid. The once-white t-shirt and dirty red shorts both read Ninjago High. He was still a high school student, and probably not more than 16 years old.

Further observation led Nya to pinpoint exactly what was so wrong about this alternate Jay: he was small. Sure, regular Jay was short, but he had a way of dominating a room just by walking into it. His presence was so much large that no one noticed he was the same height as Kai. The kid in front of her was the opposite. Rather than projecting outward, he tried and make himself as small as possible. It was such a departure from what she was used to that Nya was a little annoyed she didn’t pick up on it sooner.

The meltdown in the tree made sense now. The boy that Zane was checking over had to be emotionally strung out. Nya’s heart broke a little bit thinking about the sequence of events that led to this. She didn’t have all the answers – or any – but she was determined to figure out what was going on. Not only to get her Yin back, but also to return this precious cinnamon roll to wherever he belonged.

Master Wu returned to take the boy into the monastery. He was still sniffling, but the crying finally stopped. He eyed the group before being led away. The confusion and fear in his gaze was so foreign that Nya couldn’t bare to look. She turned to the cliffside, staring out at the endless sky.

Something grabbed her from behind. Nya would have freaked out if she wasn’t so far in her own head. The hold was warm and gentle, the signature of the person she needed most right now.

Kai.

Even powerless her brother’s hugs were still warm. Warm, comforting, and grounding. They had kept her from spiraling so many times over the years. One hug wasn’t going to burn away the pain tonight, but damn if it didn’t help.

She looked down and saw the red of his gi crossing over her chest where his arms wrapped around her. Green joined red when Lloyd made his way over. She let her chin rest on his shoulder as he hugged her from the front. Cole joined next. He grabbed the trio from the side Nya couldn’t see. She could feel him on her left shoulder and in the slight increase in pressure. Zane took the last spot on the right. The titanium shell was a cool contrast to Kai’s warmth.

The four sets of arms were the comfort she needed right now. Kai’s warmth, Zane’s chill, Cole’s strength, and Lloyd. It was a reminder that things would be okay. That they would figure things out together. More importantly, it was safety. Not just physically, but emotionally. It was the silent permission to break down and let it out.

That’s what Nya did. She cried in their arms. She cried until the stars started to twinkle in the night sky. She had to get it out now. Tomorrow, they had work to do. They had to find their missing boy.

Chapter Text

Jay wasn’t panicking. Sure, he was upside down in a tree and staring at a long fall towards death, but things were fine. He had gotten out of worse situations. This was nothing compared to the Great Devourer, the Overlord, or Nadakhan. The First Realm debacle hadn’t even been a week ago. This was no time to panic.

Keep telling yourself that, maybe you’ll start to believe it.

Jay pushed the thought to the back of his mind. Negativity was not welcome right now.

He reoriented himself so the sky was in the proper place. The new view showed a familiar cliffside. A quick climb up the rocky face and the monastery would be in view. It would be Oni free and full of friends. There might even be a kiss waiting after Nya was done yelling at him for getting punted over the wall again.

Getting out of the tree was easy. Getting up the cliff was easy. Seeing that the monastery was completely different was not.

Jay chewed the inside of his cheek as he looked at the not-so-familiar walls. The monastery had changed a lot over the years. Between the Serpentine burning it down and Kai burning the ashes, there wasn’t a lot of the original place left. They rebuilt it, but changes were made to accommodate the new occupants and their needs. The courtyard he stood in now was a near-perfect replica of the one Master Wu had recruited him to almost a decade ago.

It was the Monastery of Spinjitzu, there was no doubt about that. It just wasn’t the most recent one. The walls were cracked and overgrown. Shingles were falling off the roof. The gates – that he distinctly remembered getting obliterated – hung loosely on their hinges. Tumbleweeds and cobwebs littered the courtyard and front porch. It was evident that the building had been abandoned years ago.

He wondered if he had been thrown back in time. Krux and Acronix were out of the picture for now, but that didn’t mean they were gone for good. It wouldn’t be the first time a villain came back from the dead. But even if the Hands of Time made it back to the present, they would have been powerless. Their element was still locked in the Time Blades. The Stop, Forward, and Pause Blades were still missing, but Jay knew they didn’t have the Reverse Blade. That would have been the most important one if they meant to send him back in time.

The answer probably wasn’t in the past. Most of their enemies were either imprisoned in Kryptarium or some other supernatural cage. Whatever was responsible for this was new.

Jay wandered around the courtyard taking in the similarities and differences. The dragon statue was still there, but the button to engage the training course wasn’t. The peeling paint and faded shingles were older versions of what he remembered. The mural was missing. That was a shame, considering how much work had gone into it.

There were minor differences – minus the missing training equipment – in the courtyard, but still enough similarities to be recognizable. The interior wasn’t close. It was like someone had rebuilt the place from a picture but had never seen the inside. The main room was still an open studio, but it was way too spacious. The ceiling was too high. The walls were too far away. Gone were the tv and gaming system, the couch, and all the stuff they had collected over the years. The cavernous room was empty, save for a few suits of armor and some weapons that none of them would have used. It was closer to Good Garmadon’s dojo than Master Wu’s. Everything that marked it as belonging to the ninja was gone.

Sliding doors hid the entrances to the two wings of the building. Jay took the left one, hoping it still led to their rooms. It did, but none of the quarters had been occupied in ages. A sneeze disturbed the dust in what should have been Cole’s room. He had to draw his hood to keep it out of his nose. The other’s quarters were just as barren. Even the hallway was devoid of pictures.

That was the biggest sign that something was terribly wrong. Before it burned the first time, Wu had been adamant that they keep a record of their adventures somewhere. Kai could barely write at the time and Zane was so long winded that they decided to do it through photographs. That was fine with Jay; pictures told a story better than words. It also gave Zane’s falcon something to do. The corridor connecting their rooms became a kind of giant scrap book. The monastery was destroyed before they could put much up, but it was something they made sure to do on the various iterations of the Bounty over the years. When they rebuilt their real home, they spent days hanging their favorite pictures of their adventures.

The team holding the Blade Cup after winning the talent show. Lloyd falling asleep on Kai’s shoulder after his first training session. Zane standing in front of the makeshift rocket from their failed attempt at retrieving the Golden Weapons. Kai standing victoriously after beating Ash in the Tournament of Elements. The four of them riding yaks (goats) on the way to (away from) Stiix. Ghost Cole right before the Day of the Departed. Nya confronting the Samauri X imposter. Lloyd fighting Harumi. Kid Wu flying their Firstbourne stand in. All of it had been put up for show in that hall. The mural outside told the story of Ninjago, but the walls inside told the story of the ninja themselves.

A brought Jay back to the present. It was quiet enough that most normal people would have missed it. He really hoped it was just the building settling on its foundation. There was a second disturbance, and that one couldn’t be ignored. He ducked under an attack and somersaulted forward. Midroll, he popped into a handstand and finished in a roundoff, facing his assailant. An old man with a long white beard and straw hat stood before him. He had two hands on a wooden staff that looked like it had holes drilled in it.

“Master Wu?! Ohmygosh finally! What the heck is going on?! Why is everything so different?! Where did everyone go?! Did we beat the Oni?! Did I miss lunch again?! Ohh man, Nya is going to kill me for sure this time,” Jay rambled. ‘Master Wu’ didn’t answer. Instead, he straightened his posture and narrowed his eyes. Jay saw the wind up for the next strike. “Woah, hey calm down. It’s me. It’s ME!”

“I don’t know you. Who are you, and why are you trespassing on sacred ground?” Wu questioned. Jay went still. Master Wu doesn’t remember me? The momentary lapse in concentration let Wu land a hit to the head with his staff. It wasn’t the first time Jay had been bonked with it, but this one hurt – both physically and emotionally.

“Ow! What was that for?”

Wu didn’t respond, choosing to press his attack. Jay dodged the next strike and the series of jabs that followed. Whoever this pretender was, it wasn’t Master Wu. Not only was his treatment of guests terrible, but he was a lot faster and a lot more aggressive. Jay backpedaled, trying to create some breathing room. Wu refused to give him any.

“Look. Ok. I think there might have been a little bit of a misunderstanding here. How about we calm down and start over,” Jay tried. All the dodging and retreating had backed him up against the wall. His only options were talking or trying to escape through the window. Wu jabbed once at Jay’s head and twice at his chest. He dodged the first two, but the third connected and threatened to take his breath away. Communication is not this guy’s strong suit. Escape was the only choice.

Jay dodged two more pokes, shouldered Wu out of the way, and crashed through the nearest window. He made it as far as the dragon statue before the fleeing option was also taken off the table. The Bounty was anchored just outside the monastery gate. Even if he could get out, there was no way he was losing Wu. The old master followed through the front door, albeit at a slower pace than before. They both knew Jay was effectively cornered. Wu dipped his hat levelled the staff at Jay’s chest. It was a challenge, and Jay had no choice but to accept.

The imposter wanted a spar. At least he had enough manners to let Jay center himself. Jay took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, did some stretches, and finally settled into a stance. Wu stood still as a statue.

They held their positions for a long time. Neither side wanted to make the first move. Both knew Jay had an advantage. Wu tipped his hand earlier in the hallway, but beyond some skillful dodging Jay hadn’t shown much. Wu didn’t want to leap into a trap and Jay didn’t want to show more than absolutely necessary.

Wu broke first. Outlasting the master came as such a shock that Jay almost didn’t react in time to avoid the attack. The old master landed a couple of feet in front of him and quickly lashed out with a series of jabs and sweeps that would have taken out a lesser fighter. The staff whistled in front of Jay’s nose, and he was positive he heard music.

Is he fighting me with a flute?!

It was a good thing they moved outdoors. The close quarters of the hallway would have been to Wu’s advantage. Especially with that staff. It gave him a reach Jay couldn’t match, and he was good enough with it that the normal disarming techniques wouldn’t work. Jay wished he had a weapon of his own. With the nunchucks broken – curse Kai’s terrible blacksmithing – Jay was at a disadvantage. He was going to need to be creative, but the extra space was just what he needed to level the playing field.

He ducked under a wide arcing sweep before flipping backward to create space. Wu might be good with the weapon/musical instrument, but it was only useful if it could land a hit.

Wu tried to close the gap, but Jay continued to duck and roll out of the way every time he got close. The old man wasn’t used to an opponent that could match his speed. He was prone to overextending when he thought he had Jay in a corner. It left him open to counterattacks if Jay managed to dodge in time. That was a 50/50 proposition. Wu was still a ninja master, and sometimes he threw stuff Jay had no chance to get out of the way of.

The pair went in a circle like that around the dragon statue. Wu would test Jay with different jab and sweep combinations and Jay would either dodge or counter. They could do this dance all day. Or until someone got tired. Considering he hadn’t eaten since breakfast and the old man wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down, he decided it was time to tip the scales.

Wu’s next attack was a sweep. Jay planted his foot on the staff and jumped into a backflip, sending himself away and driving the weapon into the ground.

“Alright, time to get serious,” he said. The declaration made Wu pause, and it left the opening Jay needed to end the fight. He charged his power, wound up with a flourish, and released…

Nothing. No lightning. Not even a spark.

“Seriously?! You’re going to abandon me now?! Ugh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” he whined. Wu huffed out a laugh. Jay didn’t have time to pout – his opponent was already closing in. Their dance resumed, and this time Jay was on the back foot. The power failure and ensuing shock left him open, and Wu was taking advantage of it.

After taking a few too many hits and not landing nearly enough of his own, Jay decided to play his second card. He might not have his lightning, but he didn’t need it to spin. Up until now he had been trying to keep things simple. Master Wu was a direct descendent of the First Spinjitzu Master. Beating him in a fight that relied on the technique was unlikely, if not impossible. Something had to be done though. He was losing and needed to turn the table. There was only going to be one shot at this. It needed to be executed perfectly, or things would be really bad.

Jay dodged a few more pokes while he waited for the right opening. Wu tried another sweep, and Jay countered the same way as last time. Two feet on the staff, force it into the ground, and jump. Wu was expecting it this time. He chose to drop it instead of letting Jay use it as a springboard. It didn’t matter. Jay launched off his back foot, propelling himself forward and over his opponent. The old master twisted around to defend, but without the staff he was much more vulnerable.

“Ninjaaaa Goooo!” Jay yelled. Wu’s eyes went wide. Jay was too close and the weapon was too far. There was no hope of blocking the whirlwind of movement. He got sucked into the tornado and spit out a few yards away. Jay came to a stop soon after, one foot planted on the staff and hands on hips in a victory pose.

“Do you yield?” he asked.

Please say yes please say yes please say yes…

Wu pulled himself into a sitting position. He didn’t say anything for a long time. Jay was a little concerned that he had hurt him, or that he would get up and they would start fighting again. He was in major trouble if that happened.

“I yield,” he finally said. Jay released all the air he was holding before collapsing onto his back. It was more from emotional strain than physical. It had been a long day, and fighting a variant of his master was the last straw.

He laid like that as Master Wu stood up and retrieved his staff. Jay knew he should probably move. He won the right to leave, and he should exercise it before Wu decided to go for round two.

Jay didn’t. He couldn’t. Whether it was the day finally catching up to him or some cosmic force holding him down, his limbs refused to respond.

Wu picked up his staff before taking a seat next to him. The sun had started to set. Neither moved as its rays turned the sky shades of orange and red.

“Who are you?” Wu eventually asked.

“I’m Jay. I’m one of your students. Don’t you remember me, Master? What happened?”

“It’s true that I have a student named Jay. You two are alike in many ways, but you are definitely not my pupil,” he replied.

Jay felt his world start to crumble. He was not panicking. He was not panicking. He was not panicking.

…Ok, maybe he was panicking a little.

When the breeze carried the leaf into the warehouse that afternoon, Wu knew something had disturbed the monastery. There was only one place in Ninjago where you could feel wind like that, and that leaf only grew on one tree. How it got into the city was a problem for later. Defending the monastery was more important.

He wasn’t sure what to expect. Vandals, Serpentine, a wild animal maybe. All were possibilities. A person spaced out staring at the walls was a surprise. They weren’t very big, maybe half a head taller than Lloyd and a little bulkier than Kai. They wore a uniform of some kind, but it was obscured in the darkness of the hall.

Getting closer was going to be an issue. Ninja master or not, sneaking around this many loose floorboards was hard. Wu did his best, but a misstep halfway down gave him away. It wasn’t loud. Most people probably would have passed it off as the wind if they noticed it at all. The stranger tightened. The motion was almost imperceptible, but Wu knew his cover was blown. He didn’t wait for their reaction, deciding to take a page from his nephew’s book instead: attack first, ask questions later. At the very least it would give him some insight into what the intruder was capable of.

Wu rushed him. A second loose board gave away his position. His opponent ducked under the swing and pulled off an impressive gymnastic routine to open up some space.

“Master Wu?! Ohmygosh finally! What the heck is going on?! Why is everything so different?! Where did everyone go?! Did we beat the Oni?! Did I miss lunch again?! Ohh man, Nya is going to kill me for sure this time.” As words tumbled out of the stranger’s mouth, Wu was left with more questions. He was pretty famous among martial artists, so it wasn’t a surprise that they knew his name. It was the insinuation that they knew each other personally that was interesting. Name dropping Nya got him on guard. Knowing Wu was one thing, but knowing the identities of his students was another.

Wu got ready to swipe at him again, and that drew the man back to the present. “Woah, hey calm down. It’s me. It’s ME!”

It was easier to make out the figure’s features now that he was closer. There still wasn’t much to go off. It was a man, probably. Their clothes fit well but were still loose enough to hide their physique. They were definitely bigger than any of his non-Cole students. A hood and mask were pulled over their head. It covered everything but the eyes and a sprinkle of freckles. Piercing blue irises cut through the darkness. Sparks danced around the pupils.

There’s only one person those could belong to…

“I don’t know you,” Wu lied. He had a pretty good idea who the trespasser was, or who it was supposed to be. Problem was their owner was supposed to be much younger. “Who are you, and why are you trespassing on sacred ground?”

It got the guy to shut up. That in itself was a win. The shock was evident on what little he could see of the stranger’s face. Any other time Wu would have tried to work it out peacefully. The man in front of him was obviously just as confused as he was. He chose to keep attacking instead. It would be easier to make the man show his intentions. Wu got the feeling they would be there all day if he tried to talk about them. It would also help keep his skills sharp. He hadn’t been seriously challenged since the kids took over fighting Garmadon. The stranger probably wouldn’t be much of a test, but it was better than mediating in an empty warehouse.

Wu made a mistake. That should have been obvious when the stranger dodged nearly everything Wu threw at him in the hallway. It should have been blatantly obvious when he saw the gi in the sunlight. The sky-blue garment and dragon sash were both exquisite in quality and worn from battle. The skill and dress marked this man as a ninja. An accomplished one too if the spar was anything to go by. It reinforced what Wu already knew; this was the Master of Lightning and not one of his students.

How this happened was a mystery. This Jay was much older than the one that struggled through the training session the day before. Not only that, he had the spark that only came from realizing one’s true potential. His student couldn’t even handle static cling yet. Summoning lightning was a long way away. Their personalities were also very different. The man before him was loud and energetic and never stopped talking. His student was the complete opposite. There were times when Wu forgot he was there because the boy was so quiet. He couldn’t imagine anyone losing track of this guy.

The only similarities were in their looks and propensity for panic. Appearance-wise they were nearly identical, age difference notwithstanding. They both tended to fall apart when given bad news. Even that manifested in opposite ways; his Jay would quietly dissolve into a puddle of tears while this one was running laps around the dragon statue screaming.

Wu had tried to get through to him a couple of times, but the attempts went ignored. It would be better to let the boy tire himself out and try again later. He decided to check out his father’s second home in the meantime. It had been a while since anyone had been up here. Now was a good time to inspect what had become of it.

The old building had seen better days. Wu knew he had neglected the upkeep in favor of training Lloyd and his friends, but the current state was abhorrent. Broken boards, missing shingles, clouded windows, he didn’t dare try the gas for fear the whole place would go up in flames. It was in worse shape than the Temple of Fragile Foundations. Father would have thrown a fit if he saw what had become of it. He needed to take the time to restore it to its former glory. The Monastery of Spinjitzu was supposed to be a monument to the history and tradition of the art. Letting it decay like this was unforgivable.

The courtyard was in bad shape. He knew the interior wasn’t much better. There hadn’t been time to investigate everything earlier, but even the brief glances were enough to confirm it. The walls needed repainted. The floors needed resurfaced. With any luck the foundations were still good. The ceiling not leaking was probably too much to ask. Best case scenario, this was a project that would take a few weeks to complete. More likely it to take months, if not years.

Jay had calmed down by the time he finished. He wasn’t screaming anymore, so Wu considered that progress. He decided to spend the night on the mountain top. Flying back to Ninjago City in the dark was doable but not ideal. Lloyd and company would be long gone before they got back, so it wasn’t like he needed to hurry. Jay was also familiar with the place, and staying the night might keep him from panicking again. More than anything, Wu felt like he needed to. It had been far too long since the last time he had slept on the summit.

The plumbing likely couldn’t be trusted, so he offered Jay the shower on the Bounty. Jay only nodded before shuffling off to the hot water. Wu didn’t tell him where to go, but he didn’t seem to need directions. Already knowing the layout of the ship was curious, but not entirely unexpected. The boy was a mystery wrapped in a riddle. It would take more than one night of reflection to figure him out. That wouldn’t stop Wu from trying. One would never reach the end of the path if they never took the first step.

The best place to start was probably the end. He hadn’t processed everything that went on in their spar yet. Hopefully it held some clues about where to go next.

“Ninjaaaa Gooo,” he yelled. Wu was still caught off guard from the flip. He had expected the same counter as before. Surely someone so young didn’t have a bag of tricks that deep yet. It was also an incredibly risky move. The jump had to be perfect; too much air and Wu would have had time to pick up the staff, too little and he wouldn’t have made it over the top. The fact that it was performed flawlessly was a shock. After that there was nothing Wu could do. The positioning of everything – him, Jay, and the staff – made it impossible to defend against the tornado.

The boy stood triumphantly on his staff. Wu didn’t need it to keep going, but he could see the kid was desperately hoping that was the case. Wu yielded instead. There was no point in fighting any more. He could tell Jay wasn’t trying to cause trouble. The boy knew Spinjitzu. Anyone that could do it was a friend of the monastery. The form was ancient, but that didn’t matter.

Now that the fight was over, the ninja fell back and gazed at the sky. He was obviously tired, and Wu got the sense it wasn’t just from their fight.

He took a seat next to the exhausted warrior and let himself relax. The ninja tensed briefly at the action but relaxed when it became clear that Wu hadn’t come to start something.

They lay in a peaceful quiet until the sun started to set. The fight had been informative, but it left more questions than answers. Who had trained this strange ninja? What did he want? Why come here of all places? Wu decided to ask the one weighing on him the most first.

“Who are you?”

The ninja turned to him, blue eyes crackling with barely restrained lightning. Wu already knew the answer, but he needed confirmation from the man next to him.

“I’m Jay. I’m one of your students. Don’t you remember me, Master? What happened?” he all but pleaded. Wu knew what the boy wanted to hear. He didn’t want to let him down, but the sooner Jay accepted the truth the sooner they could figure things out.

“It’s true that I have a student named Jay. You two are alike in many ways, but you are definitely not my pupil.”

Chapter Text

Jay watched the steam rise from the cup of tea. ‘Master Wu’ had pulled him aside after ‘Zane’ finished plugging his nose. The whole thing was surreal. All his friends were here, but they weren’t the people he knew. They looked the same but acted so differently. It was like someone made copies but didn’t know enough to get the personalities right.

Kai was too reserved. He wasn’t running around giving out hugs or fist bumps or just generally being loud. This guy was too calm. Too quiet.

Cole was too serious. The normal bored frown was replaced with a concerned one. Maybe that was because Jay just had a breakdown, but the lines etched on his face said that this was his default. Then there were the sleeves. Cole never wore sleeves.

Zane wasn’t even close. This one wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was a robot. He looked proud of it. This Zane was more compassionate and had a level of humanity that his just didn’t.

Lloyd was too comfortable. He held himself higher, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. The others had more respect for him. It was weird.

Nya was too soft. Literally. Everything his Nya did was hard. Whether it was tightening bolts or eating cereal, nothing was done with concern for the other party involved. The hug in the tree had been firm but way too gentle.

Master Wu felt old in a way the one he knew didn’t. He wasn’t popping up out of nowhere or playing the flute. The old man in front of him looked like those days were long gone.

Finding differences was easy. Finding similarities was hard. That probably required spending time with them. Jay wasn’t sure he wanted to do that. It was hard enough seeing his friends’ lookalikes without having to reconcile them acting differently. That felt like more than he could handle.

Jay melted into the blanket as he took a sip. Tea wasn’t normally his thing, but this blend was really good. It soothed his nerves in a way nothing else did. Maybe he could take a bag of it home later.

Wu was pouring a second cup when he broke the silence.

“It’s not every day we have visitors this far from the city, and even more rare that they are found stuck in trees.”

It wasn’t a question, but Jay knew he was waiting for an answer. Not knowing what to say but wanting to sit in an awkward silence even less, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“You have a lovely house.”

You have a lovely house? Really?

Wu just hmm’d and stared at his cup. Jay wanted to bury himself in the scarf he wasn’t wearing. The orange fabric was his safety blanket, and he had been missing it all day.

“I appreciate the compliment. We do our best to ensure the Monastery of Spinjitzu is warm and welcoming to everyone who arrives at our gate.”

Monastery of Spinjitzu? What was that? Where was that? Wu had never mentioned it before. For all the pushing to learn the art, it should have come up at some point. It probably did, and Jay hadn’t been paying attention.

“Visitors also usually have a name. May I ask yours?”

“Oh, um. I’m Jay. Jay Gordon. It’s nice to meet you.” It probably wasn’t smart to give out his full name to a stranger. The thought came too late. He was going to blame the lapse in judgement on the tea.

“It is very nice to meet you, Jay. I am Master Wu, caretaker of this monastery and mentor to the ninja who inhabit it.” Wu choosing to give out information when he didn’t have to was nice. It made the conversation feel more like a chat between two friends than an interrogation. “Typically, visitors have a reason for making such a long journey. May I ask what brought you to us?”

I’d like to know that myself…

“I-I don’t know. I didn’t really plan on being here today.” Jay was impressed with himself for getting through that without falling apart or stuttering. He should have been nervous. He was in a strange, parallel world with people that looked like his friends but weren’t. He had no idea where he was, how he got there, or why he was there. He didn’t have his phone, he was hungry, and it was starting to get dark. The whole situation should have set off a second panic attack, but Jay was calmer than he’d been in weeks.

Wu observed him with a curious look in his eyes.

“Often times the most rewarding adventures are the ones we don’t plan on taking.” This Master Wu also liked cryptic words of wisdom. Great. “Do you, by chance, know where you are?”

He already said where they were, but Jay could read between the lines enough to know that wasn’t the real question. This was a test. Wu already knew the answer, he wanted to see how Jay responded. Honesty got him an honest reply the first time. Maybe it would work again.

“I, I have no idea. I’m sorry.”

“I see. Do you know where you came from?”

“W-well, before this I was at school. I got hurt playing dodgeball and had to go to the nurse’s office. Then I was going somewhere else and ended up here…” Jay replied. It wasn’t the whole story, but it was the best he could do without implicating Lloyd or lying. Wu didn’t say anything, choosing to take another sip of his tea instead.

“Ninjago City is a long way for someone to travel on foot, and climbing the Mountain of Impossible Heights is no small task. You must be tired. Please, stay with us for the night. We will see about returning you home in the morning,” Wu said, apparently accepting the response.

Jay didn’t miss how Wu answered his own questions. He definitely knew Jay was hiding something. The true but not useful response confirmed it. It also tipped his hand on how this conversation was going to go. Truthful answers from Jay got truthful responses from Wu. Vague answers were rewarded with vague responses. Jay realized that this was an information exchange, not an interrogation.

“Please, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I am happy to answer what I can,” Wu offered.

Choosing what to ask was hard. There were a lot of things Jay wanted to know, but Wu probably wouldn’t have an answer for most of it. Instead of asking the burning questions, he started with something easy.

“What is this place?”

“This is the Monastery of Spinjitzu. A haven to those that seek to better themselves, and the home of the current Elemental Masters of Fire, Earth, Water, Ice, Energy, and Lightning,” Wu replied. Elemental Masters? What was that about? Jay didn’t remember his Wu mentioning anything about them. It was probably in the book he was always trying to get them to read.

“Elemental Masters?”

“After the First Spinjitzu Master raised this land from the Endless Sea, he distributed his power to a few trusted individuals. They became his guardians, and over time passed their abilities on to their children. They in turn passed the power to their children, and so on. Today, we call those descended from the first guardians Elemental Masters. Six of them live here with me and serve as protectors of the realm. Four of which are the inheritors of the four Elements of Creation and the protectors of the Green Ninja.”

Wu took a long sip of his tea after the explanation. It was a lot to take in. People with magic powers that protected the world from evil? What kind of place did he get dropped into? It wasn’t that much different than fighting Garmadon, he supposed. But they fought with machines. Magic wasn’t something they had to worry about. Or was it? If this world really mimicked his own, then maybe there were other dangers out there that they didn’t know about.

“I-I’d never heard about them before,” Jay replied.

“It is not common knowledge. Few know of their existence. The Masters themselves often don’t know they have the ability until it is discovered on accident.”

“Guess it’s kind of lucky that so many of them ended up here,” Jay chuckled.

“I might have put my finger on the scale to make that happen.” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Apparently every version of Wu had a penchant for collecting impressionable teenagers.

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Jay was trying to process the new information while Wu worked on his second cup.

“Master Wu, you said six Elemental Masters live here with you. I saw five earlier, where’s the other one?”

Jay didn’t have all the information, but he had a good idea of what the answer was going to be. He was focused on the differences at first, but he was starting to see the similarities. His friends were still ninja. Wu was still their master. They still fought evil. Their call signs probably translated to their elements. If those were all the same, then the missing ninja could only be one person.

“I do not know. There was a battle earlier this morning, and no one has seen him since its conclusion. I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation,” Wu said calmly. Jay gulped as the old man sipped his tea. The next question was one that he needed the answer to but really didn’t want.

“It’s me. Isn’t it. I’m your missing ninja.”

“No. You are not my missing student,” Wu said. Jay wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but it didn’t feel like Wu was finished. “My missing student is Jay Walker. And I fear he may have taken your place in whichever realm you call home.”

The bottom almost dropped out. Jay could feel the world start to spin. That was the expected answer, but it was different hearing someone say it out loud. This was not his home. These were not his friends. Things were not okay.

“I will see about accommodations for the night. Wait here, I shall return shortly. Oh, and help yourself to more tea. It does wonders to clear the mind and calm the soul.”

He departed shortly after, leaving Jay alone with the teapot and his thoughts.

Wu didn’t expect anyone to sleep. Shut eye would be impossible with Jay missing.

Misako would likely be in the library all night, digging through scrolls and looking for possible answers. She wouldn’t find any. Both of them knew it. They had separately been through every tome the monastery had multiple times trying to find ways out of their various predicaments, and at no point had anything like this come up. That was why he tasked her with getting the younger Jay settled. Tending to their guest would help keep her mind off things they couldn’t do.

He was curious as to how the ninja would respond. Would they band together to find and rescue their missing brother, or would they fall apart? Wu sincerely hoped it was the former. Everyone had made mistakes after Zane’s sacrifice. He wanted to believe they learned from it, but that hadn’t been tested until now. Yes, there was Morro, and when Wu had been kidnapped by the Hands of Time. The team had done an admirable job of working together in both situations. However, he knew it was easier when there was an imminent threat. What would they do now that Ninjago was at peace?

Wu knew part of this was his fault. He should have done a better job reinforcing the idea of staying together regardless of circumstances. They were supposed to be a team no matter who was present. He let them part the first time because he thought they needed time and space. Everyone processed grief differently. It wouldn’t do for someone to say something in anger and ruin the brotherhood they forged. That misjudgment would have ended in disaster had it not been for Lloyd’s way with words and Chen's machinations. It wasn’t a mistake he was going to make again. Counting on villains to bring them together wasn’t an option.

The sudden focus on the mental state of the team led him to the realization that he hadn’t talked with any of them in a while. Yes, he communicated with the team every day, but when was the last time he sat down and had tea with each of them individually? It had to be before the latest incident with Garmadon. There hadn’t been time – Ha – after Krux and Acronix’s return. They spent most of their days moving into the floating temple before that. Was it when Cole was still a ghost? If not, then it would have been before buying Steeped Wisdom. Running the tea shop had taken most of his time. Wu frowned when he realized it was possible he hadn’t had a one-on-one conversation with his students since Garmadon still had a good side.

There was no justification for that. Time should have been set aside to make sure each of them were well. Health of the mind was just as important as that of the body. It was a lesson he should have learned from Morro. The mistake had been made, but there was still time to correct it. That would be his first task come the morning.

Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

The thought – sounding like Jay, ironically – gave him pause. It was late, and they were unlikely to want to talk, but this was important. He needed to take his own advice. A quick check in was the bare minimum he needed to do.

Finding Kai wasn’t hard. The sound of fists pounding into sandbags echoed through the courtyard. The power of Fire might be gone, but Wu could still see smoke wisping off his shoulders. Letting him cool off for a bit might be a good idea.

Cole was also easy to find. A peek in the kitchen revealed half of him. The other half was deep in the refrigerator. Wu realized they probably skipped dinner. The child – they would always be kids, no matter how old or experienced they became – was probably starving. Hopefully he wasn’t trying to eat through his frustration.

“Cole, do you have a moment? I would like to speak with you,” Wu asked. Cole pulled himself out of fridge, half a slice of pepperoni pizza hanging from his mouth. He finished in one big bite, thankfully chewing and swallowing before answering.

“Of course Master, how can I help.”

“I merely wish to see how you are holding up.”

“I’ve been better. I mean, we just lost Jay and picked up a kid that looks like him but isn’t. Kind of hard to be okay after that,” he said lowly. Wu hadn’t seen Cole this depressed in a while.

Probably because you never talk any more.

“But I’ll get there. Jay needs me to be strong right now. So does everyone else. I can’t afford to be weak.”

Cole was putting on a brave face, but Wu was concerned. This wasn’t a burden that he needed to carry on his own. The pressure of keeping the others up would crush him, superstrength or not.

“You don’t have to put all of this on your shoulders, Cole. All of us need to share the load. It is the only way we will continue to be the best version of ourselves.”

“I know Master, but I don’t have a choice right now. Someone had to be the team’s rock. Who better than the Master of Earth?” It was supposed to be a joke, but neither of them saw the humor. How long had he been thinking like this? How long had he been taking the strain from his teammates? It was a conversation that needed far more time than could be afforded tonight.

“While it’s good that you’re lifting your teammates up, do not forget that they need to stand on their own as well. Pressure can crush even the strongest of rocks. Let your back rest for the night so it will be ready for the work that awaits in the day,” he replied before turning to leave. Cole nodded solemnly. Hopefully that little bit of wisdom would be enough for tonight.

Candlelight glowed from the library door. He expected to find Misako but was presented with Nya instead. A pile of scrolls littered the floor around her stool.

“Tired minds will not produce adequate solutions Nya. Perhaps it is best if you get some rest and resume your, uh, research in the morning.” The sudden noise must have startled her. She yelped and nearly dropped the scroll. The attempts to catch it only made it unroll further.

“Sorry Master Wu. I know I should sleep but I couldn’t stop thinking. I thought some reading might help my calm my mind,” she said. Wu didn’t doubt that. Nya and Kai were the most active of the team. Where Kai often needed to wear himself out physically, Nya needed to do the same mentally. He also knew that wasn’t the whole truth.

“Be that as it may, Mating Habits of the Tiger Widow might not be the best material. I could make you a pot of Serenitea instead,” Wu offered. Nya’s eyes brightened as much as they could. They were still a little red from the crying she had done earlier, and general fatigue from the day had long since settled in.

“Thank you Master, I’d like that. I’ll get this cleaned up and…” Wu stopped her with a hand.

“Don’t worry about the scrolls. They will be here tomorrow. Go to bed, and I will bring something to help you sleep.”

“What happened to not putting off for tomorrow what can be done today?” She teased. Wu returned a small smile at his words being turned on him.

“That also extends to much needed rest.”

The Master of Water gave a small bow before leaving. She was up to something. Nya didn’t pick scrolls at random when she needed to sleep. Plus, the Serenitea was still sitting on the floor where the other Jay had left it. All of his students had consumed enough of it over the years to know its presence by smell alone.

Whatever she was planning would have to wait until morning. There were still three other ninja to visit.

Lloyd was sprawled out in the common room. The TV was on but not being watched. At least, not unless Lloyd was interested in calligraphy sets.

“Lloyd…”

“I’m fine Master. You can move on,” he said. That was unexpected.

“I’m…”

“Just making sure everyone is okay. I know. I’ll be alright. I just need some time to think.”

Lloyd wasn’t supposed to be difficult to talk to. Kai, yes. Lloyd, no. His nephew was usually the most receptive. Being brushed off like this was a red flag.

“Nephew.”

“Uncle. Please. I just, I just need to be by myself for a little bit.”

“Get some rest, please. We will talk in the morning.” Wu said with a sigh. Arguing with Lloyd wasn’t going to help anyone. Wu didn’t want to leave him to stew, but he couldn’t talk to someone that didn’t want to listen. Besides, there wasn’t time to fight; the bomb in the courtyard still needed defusing.

Kai was going through the training course. It was the only thing from the old monastery that they didn’t have to rebuild. He was tearing through it with a practiced ease that would have made the First Spinjitzu Master proud. Jump. Kick. Whip. Spin. Perfection. There was no wasted movement. No wasted energy. It was all technically sound, and none of it was Kai. The Master of Fire was all about flair. This kind of ruthless efficiency looked more at home on Zane.

Wu shut the equipment down mid run. The interruption threw off Kai’s timing and sent him flying into one of the sandbags.

“Kai.” The Red Ninja picked himself and rubbed his nose. There was a sneer on his face, but it dropped when he saw Wu standing next to the button. Waiting for him to cool off and tire out was a good idea.

“Master.” The bow was respectful, but annoyance still came off him in waves. The anger wasn’t unusual. Being expected didn’t make it any easier to deal with.

“Though I admire your desire to train, late at night might not be the best time for it.”

“With all due respect, Master, there’s never a bad time to train. Not when one of our brothers is lost.”

Kai’s loyalty was both a blessing and a curse. He was fiercely protective of anyone that he considered a friend or family. It was borderline obsessive and often led to rash decisions. Wu knew he needed to do a better job helping the boy reign it in. That task had largely been delegated to Lloyd over the years. The pair kept each other grounded enough that Wu let it go. When one of them was emotionally unavailable, however, the ugly side could come out of the other. That wasn’t healthy for Kai and verged on dangerous for everyone else.

“Physically I believe you will be more than prepared to do what is necessary. It is the emotional aspect that I am concerned about. It has been a long few months, and I fear you have not had the time required to properly recover.”

Kai didn’t say anything for a long minute. Wu could see the flames flicker in his cherry-colored eyes. There was an emotional hurricane swirling in them.

How long has this been brewing?

“I’ll be ok Master. I might not be right now, but I will be.”

At least he acknowledged it. Wu had been a little concerned that this conversation would turn into a fight. Kai was stubborn, and if something was wrong it would be a chore to get him to see it. If he understood he wasn’t alright, it gave Wu hope that things would be okay eventually. Someone would need to keep an eye on him though. Kai’s fire would either burn him out or everyone else up if things got out of hand.

“Very well. But please, try not to stay out too late. It’s not easy to sleep with the sound of this machine going all night,” Wu said as he flipped the course back on.

“Of course, Master,” was all he got out before another sandbag came for him. Wu chucked as Kai spun around on the carousel.

Zane was the last stop. Of all his students, this one needed the least supervision. That didn’t mean he was any more responsible. Zane would overwork himself if left unchecked for too long.

The nindroid was on the Bounty. A cable ran from the side of his head into the console on the far wall of the bridge. Numbers and graphs and all sorts of things Wu didn’t understand cascaded down the screen. There was a model of Pixal in the top corner. Wu smiled when he saw it. She was a good influence. The other nindroid knew Zane’s limits better than anyone and was forceful enough to get him to respect them. He was tempted to leave them to whatever they were working on. The whole point of this had been to make sure nothing was simmering under the surface, though. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Zane – again – because he assumed everything was fine.

“Good evening, Zane. How are things going,” Wu greeted. Zane didn’t flinch, buried in whatever data he was trying to process. Wu knew he couldn’t get through to him in this state. The only ones with the technological know-how were Nya and Jay, one of which was currently missing and the other emotionally compromised. Luckily, Pixal caught sight of him. She gave him a small wave and said something to Zane, who finally turned to address him.

“Oh, Master Wu! My apologies. I was running some simulations and did not notice your approach,” Zane apologized, proper as ever.

“You need not worry about apologizing to me Zane. I was merely coming to see how you were doing. It seems you and Pixal are hard at work at, um, something.”

“Ah yes! We were just going over models of what may have happened when Jay disappeared. We have come up with some hypotheses, though we have yet to come to any solid conclusions,” Zane replied. His happiness at the disappearance of a teammate might have been worrisome if Wu didn’t know it was only because of how complex the puzzle was. Zane saw it as a challenge. He just hoped finding Jay wasn’t secondary to working out how he disappeared.

It wasn’t because he thought Zane didn’t care. He knew the nindroid would do anything for his brothers. The concern was that he sometimes became too much of a robot when things got hard. Turning off his emotions and reducing problems to numbers was an effective way to solve them, but it stripped him of the humanity the Master of Ice had worked so hard to maintain over the years. It wasn’t an issue yet, but the longer this went on the more likely it would become one.

“I see. I will leave you to…this. Do be sure to get some rest. It is just as vital to you as it is your teammates.”

“Of course, Master. I will set aside time for rest after we program the computer to run our calculations.”

Wu had no idea how long that would take, but he trusted Zane to heed his words more than the others. Wu gave a small nod then turned to leave. He was almost at the railing when Zane called after him.

“Wait, Master. I have a question before you retire for the night. Did Baby Jay happen to know the whereabouts of the Nunchucks of Lightning? We recovered the Scythe of Quakes, the Sword of Fire, and the Shurikens of Ice after the battle, but could not locate the nunchaku.”

Baby Jay? Is that what they’re calling their guest? Wu wasn’t going to question it. The intricacies of how his students came to a consensus on anything were more than he could handle on a normal day, let alone this one.

“No, but I did not ask. It will have to wait until the morning. I imagine our guest is likely asleep by now,” Wu replied. Zane’s face turned thoughtful for a second before an idea seemed to click. He gave a rushed thank you before hurrying back onto the bridge.

That was something he wished he knew earlier. The Golden Weapons were currently powerless, but he doubted they would stay that way forever. They could cause chaos when they regained their abilities.

There were a lot of problems they didn’t need right now. Jay was priority number one. The Nunchucks should probably be number two for the sake of the Realm. That meant the mental welfare of the team was going to need to take a back seat. After what he saw tonight, he wasn’t sure that was possible. Cole was trying to do too much. Kai could explode at any time. Nya was hiding something. Zane was at risk of turning into a soulless machine. Who knew where Jay’s head was at. And Lloyd…

It was a wonder that they managed to get anything done. Every one of them was a different kind of basket case. Wu had put this off for far too long. He always assumed they were okay because they never showed signs to the contrary. Internal struggles were always harder to detect than surface injuries though. They needed help, and he wasn’t sure he was fully equipped to give it. A therapist would have been nice, but there wasn’t one he would submit to dealing with the mess that was his students.

The last thing he thought before drifting into darkness was that maybe they had always been like this. The concerns, when looked at individually, were alarming. Put together, he could see how they meshed. The team worked because they had each other to compensate for what they lacked. It wasn’t built the way Wu would have wanted, but they got the job done. The fatal flaw was that they were overly reliant on each other. If one member of the group went missing, the whole team would go haywire.

He wondered how long it would take for that to happen. Hopefully they could find and rescue Jay before they unraveled. Otherwise, the Master of Lightning might have to find a way back on his own.

Chapter Text

Jay was incredibly grateful that the replica Bounty stayed true to the original. It made finding the shower so much easier.

He stripped out of his gi and let the water run until it got hot. Getting clean would be nice, even if it didn’t last long. His clothes were filthy. There wasn’t a lot of time to do laundry with the Oni running around.

The hot water helped clear his mind. This was a different realm. Master Wu confirmed as much when he said there was another Jay running around. That wasn’t good, but not the end of the world either. Realm hopping wasn’t that unusual anymore. He just needed to find Mystake and get some Traveler’s Tea. Simple as that. Of course, things would be bad if this realm didn’t have a Mystake. Maybe he could use the Realm Crystal. Lloyd destroyed the one in Ninjago, but considering how alike this world was, maybe there was one here too. There was only supposed to be one in existence, but hey, stranger things had happened.

If both of those failed, he would have to go dragon hunting. That was a last resort – a very last resort. Dragons were temperamental at the best of times. The ones they tamed after retrieving the Golden Weapons the first time were nice, but even they were moody more often than not. Chances were he would encounter something closer to the First Realm dragons. It was more likely they’d try to eat him than help.

The only other thing to do was wait for the others. That was assuming they knew he was missing. Who knew what happened after the Tornado of Creation dissipated. It was entirely possible that another Jay had taken his place, and they couldn’t tell the difference. Or maybe they could, and chose to keep the alternate instead…

He chose not to go down that rabbit hole. Nya would notice he was gone. Even if there was another Jay, she would be able to tell the difference. She would move heaven and earth to get him back. Dareth would back her up if push came to shove. That thought was less encouraging, but positive all the same.

He let his thoughts wander until the shower ran cold. He felt bad using all of Wu’s hot water, but a good shower after that disaster of a day.

A clean black training gi sat folded on the toilet seat. That was nice, considering whoever left it stole his other robes. A folded piece of paper drew his attention. The overly fancy handwriting meant it had to have been Wu. At least he left something, unlike Lloyd.

Not like it could be anyone else, right?

It was an invitation to tea. Jay couldn’t remember the last time they sat down for a talk. Catching up – even with an alternate Wu – would be welcome. Besides, saying no wasn’t an option; Wu had his robes and nunchaku.

The Master was in his quarters. Where they were having tea wasn’t written in the note, but it wasn’t that hard to guess. Jay suspected that was on purpose. It didn’t matter what realm or what version, Wu was always testing his students.

He was starting his first cup when Jay sat down. The blue gi was folded next to him, the Nunchucks of Lightning placed gently on top of it. Nothing about the situation felt peaceful. Wu’s posture was tense and the air was stale. The gi and nunchaku were placed just a little too close to Wu and a little too far from Jay. The whole set up made things feel more like a hostage negotiation than a friendly talk over tea.

Wu finished his first cup. The was a hard look in his eyes. He obviously didn’t trust Jay, and Jay was beginning to feel the same way. There wasn’t much that could be done about it. Walking out wasn’t an option without the gi and nunchaku. Even if he did manage to get them, where would he go? He couldn’t stay at the monastery, and he had no idea what the rest of the region looked like. Just like in the hallway, Wu had him cornered.

“Why are you here?” the old man asked. It was an innocent question. A softball, meant to get Jay to let his guard down. Too bad Jay didn’t have an answer for it.

“I don’t know. One minute I was fighting Oni, the next I’m in a tree hanging off the side of a cliff,” he answered. Wu just hmmed and sipped tea. Jay did the same. If Wu wasn’t going to talk to him, he wasn’t going to say anything more than he had to.

“Who are these ‘Oni’ you speak of?” Wu asked. Jay almost choked on his tea. How could Wu not know about the Oni? It was part of his heritage! At least, it was part of his Wu’s heritage. If this one didn’t know anything about them, it was possible he had an entirely different lineage. If that was the case, was this really a Master Wu variant? Jay had been skeptical of the man before, but now he was downright suspicious.

“Come on, you know. The Bringers of Doom, the Lords of Destruction, Garmadon’s evil cousins,” Jay tried. Wu didn’t answer. His eyes sharpened, and Jay could tell he didn’t believe him. It wasn’t like he could prove it though. Short of producing one – which he couldn’t and didn’t want to do – there was no way to convince him.

What if he’s an Oni in disguise?

That didn’t make sense. There was no logic in anything that happened today if that was the case. Then again, logic was something villains rarely cared about. Morro wanted to bring the Cursed Realm into Ninjago for some reason. Harumi thought resurrecting the evil part of Garmadon was a good idea. Pythor tried to end the world with a giant snake. An Oni disguised as Master Wu grilling him for information would be par for the course.

The lack of trust made the rest of the conversation pointless. Wu kept asking questions, and Jay kept giving useless answers. He wasn’t about to say any more than necessary. The time with Nadakhan taught him how to be tight-lipped when necessary. Having four brothers taught him how to be petty about it.

Who taught you how to fight? You did.

Are there others like you? Here? No idea.

Where did you get your nunchaku? I wrestled a lightning dragon for them.

Why didn’t you use them in the spar? They’re broken. Duh.

“Do you know where you are?” Wu was exasperated by this point. Jay was taking pleasure in annoying the beard off the imposter.

“Well, right now we’re on the Destiny’s Bounty. The Monastery of Spinjitzu is right outside, which means we should be on top of the Mountain of Impossible Heights right now,” he replied. Wu had maintained a calm demeanor for most of their ‘talk’. The latest statement of the obvious almost broke the façade. Jay decided to push it. Maybe he could get out of here if he wore out Wu’s patience. “The monastery is where you trained me. At least, it was until Skales burned it down.”

Now it was Wu’s turn to gag. Jay wasn’t sure if it was because of the mention of the monastery going up in flames or the Serpentine. It was a valid reaction to either.

“You let your monastery burn?!” Wu said incredulously. So it was the monastery. Jay wouldn’t have thought Wu cared about it. After all, this world’s version was a wreck. There must still be something special about it. That might be worth looking into later.

“We didn’t let it burn. There was this whole thing with a bird and a treehouse and long story short it got torched while we were gone.” He didn’t really want to recount the incident with Zane’s falcon. They all looked so dumb in retrospect. Besides, he’d already said more than he meant to. Wu didn’t look like he wanted to listen anyway. His mood had been deteriorating before, and hearing about the monastery burning crushed it.

“It’s late, and I don’t want to fly back to the city at night. Get some rest, and we’ll leave in the morning. Good night and sleep well,” he said. He packed up his tea set and was gone before Jay could say his own ‘good night’. He hadn’t even finished his cup. Oh well. Getting out of that awkward conversation had been the goal. Wu leaving the gi and nunchaku behind were a bonus.

He chose to sleep in the library that night. It was the least dusty place in the building. It was also the furthest he could get from the other wing. There were too many memories over there. The library didn’t have that problem; it looked exactly like he remembered. He wanted to poke around in the scrolls anyway. Getting information from the possibly fake Wu didn’t seem like a good idea. Better to get it from something that couldn’t lie.

The Golden Weapons were hot on his mind. Wu kept eyeing them during the tea session. Between that and the questions, Jay figured that Wu must not know what they were. That could be a very powerful card if they ever fought again. If the blasted things ever regained their charge. The nunchaku were useless without their lightning. He picked up one of the handles and turned it over in his hand. It was lighter than before. The gold was dimmer too. Something, beyond the obvious, was wrong with them. Normally he could feel the voltage when they were near like a 9V battery on his tongue. Now there was nothing.

He wondered how much of that was connected to his own element going dormant. Losing power wasn’t new. Kai lost his every other month, and it always came back after a while. This felt different though. Jay could still feel the tingle in his spine. The lightning was there but refused to come when called. Maybe it was fatigue. It had been a long, exhausting, few days. It was possible his power was too weak to manifest properly and simply needed time to recharge. Maybe a good night’s sleep would fix everything.

That’s Lloyd levels of optimism.

Jay didn’t want to admit it, but the nagging voice at the back of his mind was right. He would need at least a week. Sleep would have to wait though. Tonight, there was research to do.

The attempt at an interrogation had been a bust. Wu had to admit that he underestimated the young man for a second time in as many hours. The boy was a tougher nut to crack than his counterpart was. Expecting otherwise was foolish in hindsight. As was taking such a confrontational approach. New Jay hadn’t been intimidated in the courtyard, of course he wouldn’t be over tea. Wu just didn’t feel comfortable treating him as an ally yet. The boy was too powerful and knew too much.

Wu needed to even the playing field. The fight was informative, but he needed more information. Offering the shower was a ploy so he could go through the boy’s belongings uninterrupted. That went nowhere. All Jay had was the gi and some broken nunchaku – and the gi didn’t even have pockets to rifle through. There was also half of an amulet, but Wu had no idea what its purpose was supposed to be.

The nunchaku was interesting. The craftsmanship was exquisite. Wu could count on one hand the people capable of forging anything close. They were also terrible weapons. The handles were beautiful, but there was no chain to connect them. Plus, they were made of gold. The metal was too soft to be effective in combat. Wu would know, he’d tried. These had to be decorative, but that didn’t feel right though. If Jay was telling the truth – which the Honestea would have ensured – then he had to wrestle a dragon for them. Nothing guarded by such a creature could be purely cosmetic.

Why was Jay carrying them? There must be some kind of trick. The kid was a good fighter, but Wu could spot a weapons expert from a mile away. Jay definitely didn’t rely on his fists to win fights. He had to be carrying something else for protection.

Snooping didn’t bear fruit. That was why Wu resorted to the tea. Honestea was dangerous and a bit of a cheap trick, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. Any answers the boy gave had to be taken with a grain of salt until Wu could establish that he was trustworthy. The tea would compel him to tell the truth and help determine how big a threat this was.

Wu intentionally didn’t specify where to meet so that the tea had time to brew. He wanted to make Jay a cup of the Honestea and a pot of white for himself. That way, he was free to ask questions without worrying about giving out any extra information. Things went sideways when Jay walked in on him brewing the special stuff. There was no time to make a second pot, so they were both going to have to drink the truth serum.

You wanted a level playing field…

Wu was careful not to say too much during their conversation. Inviting questions would force an honest answer. The whole point had been to squeeze those from his quarry, not the other way around.

Things were going well until Jay mentioned his monastery burning down. The shock rattled him. The old building still meant a lot, even if it was neglected. Thinking about any version of it being destroyed was enough to break his concentration. Wu knew his control of the conversation was gone at that point. The hasty exit had been more to avoid Jay catching on than anything.

Calling it a waste might have been a bit dramatic. Jay’s answers weren’t that helpful on the surface, but the underlying messages were valuable. Finding out that he didn’t know why he was here was interesting. It suggested that travelling to the monastery wasn’t his intent. Could it have been someone else have forced him there? Who would be capable of making someone that skilled go somewhere they didn’t want to go?

Perhaps it was the Oni. Wu only knew about them from stories. Hellish brutes born from the souls of the wicked, Oni were supposed to be demons that served the Ruler of the Underworld. There were accounts of adventurers running into them in the wild, but he had never seen one. Where had the boy come from that he was in conflict with them?

Wu was sure it was nowhere close. The evidence supporting that idea was growing by the minute. Jay thought he knew where they were. Yes, this was the Destiny’s Bounty. Yes, that was the Monastery of Spinjitzu outside. They were nowhere near the Mountain of Impossible Heights though. That was farther north and home to the Temple of Fragile Foundations. The monastery was famous enough in martial arts circles that people knew where it was. No one that knew the area would have made that mistake.

The statement about not knowing if there were other ninja around was another clue. Jay didn’t give a definitive answer, but that was because he couldn’t. Defying the tea was impossible, so either he was truly in the dark or the real answer was more complicated. Wu was leaning towards the latter. If Jay knew about him and Nya, then he probably knew about the Secret Ninja Force too. They would have counted, even if they were sub-par. On top of that, he kept saying ‘we’ when talking about the monastery burning. No, Jay knew there were more ninja like himself. He just wasn’t sure where they were.

Beside all that, the man knew Spinjitzu. It was an ancient form Wu hadn’t seen practiced in over a century. Modern Spinjitzu was all about the flow of energy and bringing one’s self into alignment with the universe. It was about being better physically and emotionally. The kind Jay used was meant for battle. No one had used it since the Serpentine Wars. That was 150 years ago. Wu and Garmadon were probably the only ones still alive that had seen it performed, and he was sure neither of them taught it. Wu never mastered it and Garmadon wouldn’t create something that could turn around and destroy him.

Actually, that wasn’t true. It was entirely on brand for Garmadon to shoot for power without considering the consequences. What if Jay was one of his minions? Maybe his brother had been messing around with magic and found a way to summon help. Pulling the boy into this world might have been an attempt to upset the balance of power and give himself an edge. The young man was certainly more than his students could handle, and the Master of Lightning would be a unique problem the mechs weren’t designed to fight.

If that were the case, why did he show up here? Garmadon had been mid-attack when Jay arrived. Surely he would have been here to greet his new partner in person, or at the very least send someone from the army to collect him. And why pick one of Wu’s students? Wouldn’t Jay be more inclined to fight against Garmadon than for him? There were more holes in this plan than a block of swiss cheese, but Wu couldn’t outright dismiss it. It was possible – if not likely – that his brother didn’t know what he was doing. He probably had no idea who he was pulling or where they would appear.

Wu would need to understand the magic to figure it out. Until then, Jay couldn’t be trusted.

The monastery library was both more and less helpful than Jay expected. It was loaded with information, and just like home most of it didn’t make any sense. A majority of the scrolls were so esoteric that the trivia show Zane liked to watch couldn’t find a use for them. It was a cold comfort to realize it was something that never changed. The history texts were full of information he already knew. Most of the old battles had the same combatants and same outcomes. The biggest difference was time; they were spread out over hundreds of years rather than condensed into fifty.

That was true of everything until about twenty-five years ago. Garmadon made his first appearance, and the relative peace was shattered. His conquests destroyed most of the outlying villages. The refugees flooded into a fledgling Ninjago City, causing it to swell into a metropolis. Someone named Lady Iron Dragon – who looked a little like Skylor – eventually stopped him. Then they got married. The destruction resumed until eventually there was only one thing left to conquer. Lady Iron Dragon disappeared soon after, living on only as a legend.

That was fifteen years ago and the last time the archive was updated. Judging by the state of the place, that was probably the last time anyone inhabited the monastery.

What happened in those fifteen years?

It wasn’t important, but Jay was curious. Something had to make this Wu so hostile. Maybe the missing history would explain it.

The past wasn’t the only interesting thing. The maps, though outdated, gave a pretty good description of the realm. Any lingering doubts about this place being different evaporated. Ninjago was way smaller than it should be and nothing was in the right place. The monastery was basically on the west coast. Not only that, it wasn’t even on a mountain. The Wailing Alps were much closer to the city. The Sea of Sands and Desert of Doom were replaced by a jungle. The Canyon of General Unhappiness was new. The Dark Island was gone, as were the Storm Belt and Floating Ruins. Ninjago City covered the southwest quarter of the map, and had probably grown since the map was drawn.

He ended up going to bed around 2:00 AM. Wu hadn’t left any blankets, so Jay had to steal the sheets from what should have been Cole’s room. He also grabbed a pillow from Kai’s and some mats from Zane’s before curling up in a burrito underneath the window. Starlight filtered through the ragged curtains. Though the world was different, the same constellations dotted the sky. That soft reminder of home saw Jay to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day. Hopefully it went better than this one.

Chapter Text

Cole slowly sucked in a deep breath, held it for eight counts, then released it in six. He took another and held for six counts before releasing in four. Then again for four and two. Then two and one. Finally, he took one giant breath and released it as quickly as possible. The exercise came from his dad, back when he still thought Cole would be a world class entertainer someday. Cole became a world class ninja instead, but activity stayed a part of his routine. Breath control ended up being just as important in martial arts training as it was in vocal training.

Warm up complete, he started wrapping his hands. Kai was still running through his katas. Cole watched quietly as his sparring partner moved from one form to the next. Every movement was deliberate and precise. Nya claimed that this was the best thing to happen to him. The guiding principles of karate gave her brother a purpose and a way to relieve stress. Cole just wished Kai had chosen something other than Kyokushin to master.

It was near midday. Cole hadn’t seen Baby Jay – he couldn’t believe that’s what they were calling him – yet. Kai told him not to worry; this was a teenager that probably needed four alarms to get up for school in the morning, not a ninja that rose before the sun. That might be true, but Cole wasn’t sure how anyone could have slept through what went down at breakfast that morning…

“The fuck you mean you’re leaving?” Kai all but screamed. Zane didn’t react. Cole just stared, mouth open like it was trying to catch flies. He expected this to happen at some point. That it came so soon – and was started by Lloyd of all people – was a shock.

“There’s something I need to look into. I’ll be back, I promise, but I have to do it alone,” was all he said. He ate in silence while Kai went on a rant that would have made regular Jay proud. Cole was too stunned to say anything.

“Lloyd, are you sure about this? We can go with you, it’s no big deal,” Cole started. Lloyd cut him off with a head shake. That only made Kai angrier and louder. Zane finally turned around, a plate of scrambled eggs in one hand and glass of juice in the other.

“Kai, Lloyd would not make this decision lightly. If he truly believes it must be done alone, then we should support him,” he said. That didn’t calm Kai down. He turned his gaze on the nindroid, preparing to launch into another lecture. Nya spoke up before he had a chance.

“I need some time alone too. I just, it’s a lot. And being stuck here with reminders of him everywhere…” Nya stuttered. Cole nearly choked on his eggs. That finally took the wind out of Kai’s sails. Zane stayed silent. Lloyd continued pushing the omelet around on his plate. Nya was the last person he expected to want to take a break. She should have been all over them for not doing something last night. He understood where it was coming from though. Everyone knew that she had been waiting on Jay to make a move since before the whole thing with the Hands of Time. Then, when the joker finally does, he vanishes. Cole would be upset too.

“I also wish to take some time for myself. The supercomputer on the Bounty is not powerful enough to run the simulations we require. We will need to borrow the computers at Borg Tower, and the process may take several days,” Zane added nonchalantly.

Now Cole was ready to flip the table. They hadn’t made it a day without unraveling.

“Zane, buddy, please tell me this is somehow going to help get Jay back,” Cole asked. He had his head in his hands, palms in his eyes and fingers digging into his scalp.

“I believe so. Pixal and I believe we have isolated some possible causes for his disappearance, but we wish to come to some firm conclusions before presenting them to the team,” he explained. At least he was working on the problem. Kai had gone silent. Cole could see the gears turning. When they stopped, the Master of Fire ignited again. This time his fury was directed at all three of the deserters.

“Y-you planned this. Last night. You all planned this,” he stammered, anger slowly building into an inferno. Nya at least had the decency to look ashamed. Lloyd kept his gaze firmly on the table. Kai was focused on Zane though. Blow up earlier notwithstanding, he wouldn’t yell at Nya or Lloyd. That only left one target, and Cole wasn’t sure Zane deserved it. “You planned this, and you didn’t even talk us about it?! Did you even think about me or Cole?! Did any of you think about anybody other than yourselves?!”

“Kai,” Lloyd tried to interject, but Kai was on a roll.

“I don’t want to hear your bullshit right now. We’re supposed to be a fucking team! We’re supposed to make these decisions together!” Kai was still locked in on Zane, but everyone knew who he was talking to. Zane’s lack of reaction was how Cole knew Kai’s hunch was right. He plastered the most disappointed look possible on his face. Kai was doing well enough voicing the frustration for both of them that he didn’t need to say anything. “And where is Master Wu? Did you tell him about your little plan?!”

“Master Wu and Misako departed this morning. They were headed to the Library of Domu to retrieve some additional scrolls,” Zane answered.

“Of course they’re gone. Why would they be here when we need them?!” he yelled, bitterness seeping into every word.

“Kai, I know this is hard but, it isn’t like last time. We won’t be gone long, we just have some stuff we need to work out on our own.” Nya tried. She was right. This was worse. Last time it had been an emotionally charged blow up on his and Jay’s part. The slow crumble afterwards was bad, but everyone left on their own terms. This felt more like betrayal, and no amount of post-decision diplomacy was going to change that when it was obvious their minds were already made up.

“And you think we don’t? You think we’re fine right now? Jay’s not just your Yang, he means a lot to me and Cole too,” Kai barked, still staring down Zane. Tears started to well in her eyes again. She didn’t say anything though. Whether that was out of fear of crying or acknowledgement that this was a shitty thing to do, Cole wasn’t sure. “No, you’re right. This isn’t like last time. Last time we thought Zane was gone for good. This time we’re just giving up even though one of our brothers might still be alive.”

“No one’s giving up Kai. We’re all upset that he’s gone. We just have different things we need to take care of,” Lloyd tried to argue.

“Oh, so your feelings are more important than ours? Or are we just the dumbasses that don’t know enough to help?” Lloyd looked like he swallowed a lemon. Kai stormed out after that, choosing to leave before a fight started. Cole knew he didn’t mean it. Kai would apologize later, assuming they got the chance.

Nya and Lloyd both looked miserable. They had to know this was coming. All things considered, it could have gone worse.

“Do you three really think this is a good idea?” he asked. Neither Lloyd nor Nya would look at him, choosing to zero in on the half-finished food. Zane didn’t need to say anything, but he didn’t need too – he wouldn’t have gone along with it otherwise. “As long as you know. We’ll talk about it later. I’ll make sure hot head doesn’t do something stupid.”

“That’s kind of Kai’s M.O. though, right?” Lloyd was trying to lighten the mood. One glare was all it took to emphasize how unappreciated it was. Cole left them to stew. If they wanted space, he’d give it to them. Kai needed someone to make sure he didn’t self-destruct.

It was a good thing their powers hadn’t come back yet. Kai might have burned the monastery down again after that disaster. Finding the Master of Fire wasn’t hard. The training course was his preferred method for blowing off steam. It wouldn’t be enough right now. Kai needed something that fought back. Cole was more than happy to fill that role. Punching out feelings was therapeutic for him too.

They agreed to martial arts only. No powers, no weapons, no Spinjitzu. Cole couldn’t summon his element yet, and the lack of scorch marks meant Kai couldn’t either, so that was kind of a formality. The weapons ban was for safety – being a punching bag was one thing, being a pin cushion was another. Spinjitzu was outlawed because they wanted this to go for a while. Both had a lot of feelings to work out, and quick matches wouldn’t be helpful.

Kai finally came out of his warmup with a drawn-out breath. They locked eyes for a second. Cole lowered into a stance while Kai rose into his. Each gave a nod, and the fight was on.

Kai came in hard and fast, hands a flurry of movement that even Jay would have had a hard time tracking. The outburst would have KO’d a lot of other people. Not Cole though. Even without the super strength he could take every aggravated punch that Kai threw.

He let Kai land punches until they started to slow. Cole leaned out of the way of one and managed to grab Kai’s arm as it passed. He turned the lean into a half spin and used their combined momentum to launch the smaller ninja like a shot put. Kai recovered with a front flip, bounced off the ground once, then twisted in the air to make sure he was facing Cole when landing. Now that the initial blaze had settled, the real fight could begin.

Cole dashed forward with Lefty loaded up for a punch. Kai ducked to the side and retaliated with a pair of quick strikes to Cole’s abdomen. He tanked the hits and responded with a roundhouse. Kai was forced into a roll, and when he came up Cole was already on top of him. He picked Kai up by the scruff of his gi and tossed him towards the opposite wall. Kai made a couple of flips to get turned around before landing in a crouch. As soon as his feet touched the ground he jumped forward, closing half the distance. He barely touched the ground before leaping into a flying kick. Cole blocked it, but the impact forced him to take a step back.

Kai bicycle kicked off the block to land in a crouch and was moving as soon as his feet touched the ground. This time he led with a punch, and Cole barely had time to avoid it. He probably would have joined Baby Jay in the Broken Nose Club if it had connected. The quarter spin caused Kai to fly by instead. He rolled forward, popped into a handstand, and flipped back on his feet.

The pair stood facing each other for a few seconds. Both needed it to catch their breath. Kai started bouncing on the tips of his toes to signal that he was ready. Cole smirked and did the ‘bring it on’ motion with his hands. Most of Kai’s face was hidden under the mask, but Cole could tell the shark smile was plastered all over it.

Kai darted forward, hopping left, then right, then left again. Cole shifted his stance, planting one foot back and bracing for the incoming assault. Rather than attacking head on, Kai bounced onto the dragon statue and pushed skyward. Cole lost him in the sun, and Kai came down behind him. The stance change proved to be a mistake when Kai planted a foot just below his shoulder blades. He used Cole as a springboard, and pressure combined with uneven weight distribution brought Cole to his knees.

Kai danced backwards while Cole somersaulted forward. He stayed low, spinning around to face his opponent while keeping one knee in the dirt. He needed to figure out a way to end this soon. The hits were starting to take their toll.

The Red Ninja was a challenging opponent. Kyokushin was already a tough artform. Kai’s aggressiveness and ability to perform in the air only made it more brutal. Adding to the trouble was his mastery of combos. What Kai lacked in raw power was made up for in technique. He was a master at stringing together attacks that built on each other. It stressed an opponent enough that the finisher usually packed a punch to rival anything Cole or Zane could produce. One chain was enough to stagger even the toughest fighter. Cole was a lot more straight forward. One solid punch was all it took to end most dust ups. Lefty and Righty were reliable like that. Throw in an iron defense and he was the team tank. Kai and Jay liked to joke that he looked the part too. That was fine. Cole knew how to throw his and his opponent’s weight around.

Every ninja had their own unique fighting style. Over the years they each mastered a different art form and modified it to suit their needs. Some matchups, like Zane vs Kai and Cole vs Jay, were about strength versus weakness. Those were the fights that sharpened skills. Others, like Cole vs Zane and Kai vs Jay, were strength on strength. They pushed limits. The third set – Cole vs Kai and Jay vs Zane – were the most challenging. Their styles were similar enough to pit strength against strength while being different enough that weaknesses couldn’t be ignored. These were the most fun because it forced everyone to find new ways to win.

Kai rushed him again. No tricks this time, just an all-out frontal assault. Kai was emptying the tank this time, and Cole saw the opportunity to take advantage. He absorbed most of the punches before dropping under the last one. He landed in a crouch and spun into a flare. Kai had to jump to avoid having his knees take out. Cole only did one rotation before kicking into a crouch. In one motion, he launched forward and caught the still airborne Kai in a form tackle. He landed with all his weight on the smaller man. It knocked the breath from Kai’s lungs, and all he could do is flap his arms in surrender.

“Feel better?” Cole asked.

“Ugh, no. I think you bruised my fucking ribs,” Kai wheezed. Cole couldn’t help but chuckle. Kai was probably alright if he was feeling well enough to joke about it. He better be – Zane and Misako weren’t around to fix it something was broken.

Normally they would wait a few minutes before going again. Kai could do this all day, and Cole was just getting warmed up. They had to cut the session short though when he noticed they had an audience. Baby Jay sat on the porch dressed in one of regular Jay’s training gi. The boy’s clothes had been filthy, so it was no surprise someone had taken them. It was probably Misako, and knowing her she set this specific gi out on purpose.

“Enjoy the show little guy?” Kai asked, pride seeping through even though he just got his ass handed to him. Baby Jay just nodded, mouth slightly open as he stared in awe at the pair of soon-to-be bruised ninja. Cole sent his own smirk before plopping an elbow on Kai’s head and using it as an arm rest. Kai didn’t take too kindly to it, sputtering some colorful words while trying to move the it. Baby Jay giggled from his seat in the peanut gallery. It was good to see the kid smile. He had been a mess yesterday. A good night’s sleep and who knows how much Serenitea had done wonders.

The greeting bell rang before anyone else could say anything. Cole raised an eyebrow and leaned over the shoulder Kai was under. It further messed up his hair and made Kai squeal louder. Standing in the hole where the gate used to be was a familiar purple jumpsuit with a burlap sack.

Kai managed to weasel out of his prison and ran over collect the mail. Cole followed at a slower pace while Baby Jay held his spot on the porch.

The postman grumbled about the stairs and delivery distance. Kai wasn’t paying attention. Cole wasn’t either, but he at least pretended to care. They got this speech every time the mail came. It got old about six years ago, but there wasn’t much they could do about it outside going to the post office to collect it themselves. That was a bigger pain in the ass than listening to the old man gripe.

There were nine letters today. One for Kai and Nya, one each for Cole, regular Jay, and Zane, two for Kai specifically, and three for Lloyd. Zane and Kai also had packages.

Kai tore into his personal letters. Cole, being polite, thanked the mailman for making the trip before collecting the rest of the delivery. The postman mumbled something about ninja and lower back pain before starting the long trek back down the mountain.

Cole took the haul back towards the monastery. Kai bounced on his toes as he followed. Whatever was in those letters had him really excited. Baby Jay cocked an eyebrow as they came closer, eyeing the envelopes and boxes.

“You guys get mail?” he asked.

“Not very often. The fan mail gets routed to Borg Tower. They only deliver important stuff here,” Cole replied. Baby Jay looked like he wanted to say something. He paused, reconsidered, then changed his mind. It didn’t escape Kai’s notice. The man could smell emotional turmoil even when preoccupied with something completely different.

“Out with it short stack. If you got a question you might as well ask it,” Kai said, nose still buried in the first letter. Baby Jay toyed with the edges of his gi, debating something internally. Kai’s eyes slowly appeared over the edge of the paper. The fiery irises zeroed in on Baby Jay, making him squirm more. Cole had seen this trick work on Lloyd before the Tomorrow’s Tea incident. It still worked on him from time to time. Baby Jay didn’t stand a chance.

“I-I just, um. I’m surprised you guys let people k-know who you are,” he finally pushed out. He buried his nose in the mask when Kai started laughing.

“Why bother? People were going to find out eventually. Cole and Lloyd have famous dads, and Big Jay’s parents talk too much to keep a secret. Besides, it’s easier to get people to trust you when they see you’re a person like they are,” Kai explained. Baby Jay started to resurface from the maw of the gi when it was apparent that Kai wasn’t going to make fun of him. “Cole turning into a ghost would have blown our cover anyway.”

“You say that like the whole thing was my fault.”

“It definitely wasn’t mine.”

“Wait, y-you died?” Baby Jay stuttered. His face did something weird. Too much of it was hidden in the fabric for Cole to understand it.

“Not really. I got cursed. Still alive, just no body,” Cole tried to explain. Baby Jay just looked more confused.

“We better start at the beginning,” Kai sighed. Cole set the packages and letters on the porch. It was going to be a while if they were going to tell that story. It might be worth grabbing some popcorn. “So there was this guy named Yang and…”

One story turned into four. Kai only planned to explain Yang’s Haunted Temple, but Baby Jay’s curiosity pushed him to recount the whole thing. Cole chimed in from time to time, adding pieces that Kai either forgot or didn’t know. They ended up retelling everything from Lloyd’s possession through the Day of the Departed over a year later.

Baby Jay hung on their every word. The kid asked so many questions. Some of them were easy. Some were obvious in hindsight. Some they couldn’t answer. There was a sparkle in his eye for all of them. The curiosity must have overridden the fear. Gone was the ball of anxiety that had been hiding in Big Jay’s training gi all morning and in its place was a confident teenager that resembled the pain in the ass he knew and loved.

It was closer to dinner than lunch by the time they finished. He could hear Cole’s stomach growling from across the courtyard. It would have been the perfect time for a cake joke if his own appetite hadn’t chimed in.

“Guess it’s food time. I wonder if Zane left lunch,” Cole said. Now that the history lesson was over, Baby Jay started to shrink back into himself. Kai could see progress though. The kid didn’t get as deep in the robes as before. He even followed Cole towards the kitchen. Getting him comfortable was Kai’s number one goal. Sure, they needed to find a way to get him back to wherever he came from, but who knew how long that would take when over half the team decided to do their own thing.

Kai wasn’t bitter. He was pissed at not being included in the conversation, but the spar helped the big picture come into focus. His brothers and sister were dumbasses, but leaving Cole and himself with the skittish teenager was probably the smartest thing they could do. Zane, as great as he was, didn’t have the capacity to deal with something like this. Sending him to find a scientific answer was smart. The kid looked too much like Jay and acted too differently for Nya to handle. It was hard to imagine her keeping it together, and another breakdown might send Baby Jay over the edge again. Master Wu and Misako knew more about magic than anyone short of Garmadon or Mystake. They were the best bet for finding a mystical answer.

He could see the reasoning for them to go. Lloyd was the frustrating one. His people skills would have been the best for calming a jumpy interdimensional traveler. Between the two of them, Kai was sure they could handle Baby Jay. At the very least he could have explained his reasoning. Wandering off with only a vague description of where he was going or when he would be back was a Wu thing to do. What could be so important that he couldn’t tell them about it? What could be so important that he couldn’t take Kai with him?

A loud groan came from the monastery. Kai recognized it instantly. The sound of a hungry Cole was unmistakable.

Zane must not have left lunch.

A put-out looking Black Ninja emerged from the front door. Baby Jay trailed behind, unsure of whether following was a good idea but doing it anyway.

“Get in the drill, we’re going out to eat,” Cole said as he stomped out towards the vehicle bay. Baby Jay looked conflicted. The need for food was at war with the concern for safety. Kai walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. The kid flinched, and Kai was starting to realize just how big getting him out of his shell was going to be.

“You’ll be fine dude. Eating Cole’s cooking is a lot more dangerous than riding with him. Just don’t get between him and the Puffy Potstickers,” Kai chuckled softly. Baby Jay’s cheeks reddened. It made him look like his older self. “C’mon, we gotta hurry. He will leave our asses if we’re not there when he starts the car.”

Chapter Text

Jay watched the Bounty bob and weave through the air after it dropped him off. He had decided over breakfast to start making a list of the parallels between this world and his own. Wu being a terrible driver was going at the top. Jay nearly lost his breakfast trying to survive the ride. He would have chalked it up to Wu being petty had he not already ridden with the other version. This was apparently a standard feature of the old man.

Wu said it was a 30 minute walk into the city. That wasn’t great, but at least it gave Jay’s stomach time to settle and mind time to think.

Finding Mystake was priority number one. The tea shop might be in the place, but the odds were against it. This Ninjago City was going to be different from the one he knew. That was made apparent when the skyline came into view and Borg Tower didn’t rise above it. It wouldn’t hurt to check though. Maybe by some stroke of luck she was still there.

He needed a plan if she wasn’t. Combing the city would take more than an afternoon. Finding a dragon would take way longer. Lucking into the Realm Crystal was a pipe dream. That meant this could be an extended stay, and he was going to need food and shelter if that was the case. New clothes needed to be on the list too. The blue gi was already dirty and the black one would soon be joining it. The step would be to get a lay of the land. The old maps were likely still accurate regarding the world at large because it wasn’t likely to change much over fifteen years. The city, however, could reshape itself in a few months.

Jay was wandering downtown when an electronics store caught his eye. One of the TVs was playing a re-run of the morning show. It was the perfect opportunity to see how day-to-day life went. He needed to map out the city, but learning how it worked was just as important.

Good Morning Ninjago was over the top and in your face. The anchors’ energy was infectious and bordering on cheesy, but people must like it if it was still on the air.

Tuning in paid off immediately. He found out Garmadon was up to his old tricks in the first 30 seconds. He was a maniacal warlord here, but at least he was the only problem. The monastery library hadn’t said anything about the villains Jay faced outside the Serpentine. Garmadon being the worst of them to come out of the missing years was the best thing that could have happened. Especially when he didn’t look nearly as threatening. The four arms were still there, but the air of intimidation was not. This version felt more like the one they fought when Lloyd first joined than the version that just finished tearing apart the city.

The attack forecast looked dumb at first. It said there was a 20% chance he would show up today. Jay was pretty sure that was a random number an intern came up with. Although, the program did say they watched Garmadon’s lair 24/7. Maybe there was something to it. Regardless of the accuracy, knowing that invasions were frequent was helpful. The Shark Army probably wasn’t great if Garmadon hadn’t conquered the city yet, but it was still something to prepare for.

Jay was about 70% sure his brothers were ninja in this world. That went to 100% when the segment on the Secret Ninja Force came on. That name was a Kai special if he’d ever heard one. He noted each ninja as the popped on screen. The Fire Ninja’s confident gait obviously belonged to Kai. The Earth Ninja would have been tougher if they hadn’t asked about switching to digital. Cole’s fondness for old music was another thing that never changed. The Ice Ninja was clearly a robot. Jay would eat his last pair of clean underwear if that wasn’t Zane. The Water Ninja was Nya. He’d recognize her anywhere, no matter how much she changed. The Green Ninja had to be Lloyd. Those emerald green irises could belong to only one person.

The Lightning Ninja was probably supposed to be him. Jay cringed a little when they showed him screaming in the cockpit of a jet.

Is THAT what I look like to other people?

Jay was suddenly glad he wasn’t wearing the blue gi. It was probably best not to get mistaken for the Lightning Ninja right now. Not that anyone would be able to tell. The Secret Ninja Force must take the ‘secret’ part seriously if no one knew who they were yet. Maybe Jay should follow suit. Running around in an outfit that looked like his counterpart’s might raise suspicions. Things were close enough between the two worlds that someone could put two and two together. His other looked to be having a hard enough time without Jay blowing his secret identity.

The idea followed him onto the street. He was so consumed with it that he stopped paying attention to where he was going. It was hard to get lost when you didn’t know where you were going, but Jay managed to pull it off anyway.

Tall buildings gave way to single story outfits. The shine came off the sidewalks. Cracked pavement and pothole-littered streets soon became the norm. Most of the buildings were run down. Many were abandoned. It was like the Great Devourer had slithered through the neighborhood recently.

It was the rough part of town, and possibly the solution to his housing problem. There were a lot of empty-looking buildings that no one would care if someone was using. It was also a good place to start looking for Mystake. Harsh and unforgiving, there wouldn’t be a better place for her to set up shop.

Most of the businesses on the block were boarded up. Pictures of futuristic people with red helmets and black and teal robes tagged a majority of them. Each one bore a crimson V with a bar over it. Only one building hadn’t been defaced. Red brick with a neon sign, it looked like an old school arcade. It had to be good to survive in this desert.

Jay decided it was time to take a break. He’d been wandering around for hours and it was starting to get hot. No wonder Cole started cutting the sleeves of his gi – the black was unbearable in the heat of the day.

He pushed through the doorway and was assaulted by flashing lights and excited beeps. It was relatively small compared to the mega buildings in the downtown entertainment district, but that only gave it more charm. Unlike most big arcades, this one was dedicated to the classics. Fist to Face I and II were in the fighting games section. There was a Lava Zombies cabinet in the Beat ‘em Up corner. A copy of the dance game Cole swore he didn’t like but still had the top three scores on sat in the rhythm section. Jay only recognized some of the titles, but he was pretty sure every game was at least ten years old.

The arcade was busy, but there weren’t that many people actually playing. Most were huddled around the cabinets watching. Aside from a lone kid playing Skee-Ball in the far corner, Jay saw a group of ten crowding around two people going head-to-head on the dance machine. There was another small group watching someone play a racing game with the not-so-realistic bike. The largest cluster was standing around one cabinet. Jay couldn’t see what it was but judging by the whoops and hollers it had to be pretty exciting.

It was odd seeing so many people hanging out on a Tuesday at 10 AM. He was in no position to judge though. What these people did with their spare time was their business, and it wasn’t like he was much better.

He skirted around the groups and walked towards the corner opposite Skee-Ball Kid. Watching someone dominate a virtual world would be a good distraction, but he needed to let his hands wander as much as his mind.

This corner was filled with the oldest cabinets. Most of them had to be from the dawn of gaming. It was perfect. They would be simple enough to autopilot through while he let his mind wander. He picked one at random – something about getting a frog from one side of the road to the other – and slid a quarter into the slot. He paid attention long enough to get a handle on the controls and objective before tuning the game out completely.

Nya was on his mind. She always was, but it was bad right now. He finally worked up the courage to ask her to be his Yang. She even said yes! For about ten seconds he was the happiest man in Ninjago. Then the Oni broke down the monastery gates and everything went sideways. In a literal flash the love of his life was gone. He could still see her in his mind’s eye: soft, silky hair, radiant smile, adorable beauty mark, endless curves. He could hear her laugh at his jokes whether they were funny or not. He could hear her cry when memories of Nadakhan and his crew pushed their way to the surface. He could hear her growl when Kai made fun of her cooking.

Jay let out audible sigh at the memories. Even the bad ones warmed his heart. Not that he had any bad memories of Nya. Sure, the whole thing where she refused to pick between him and Cole hurt. So did her refusal to let him help with the Samurai X mech back when she was in charge of it. She was loud when she got upset, and her fury made him wonder how she didn’t end up as the Master of Fire instead. When she got focused on a project, she tended to ice him out. Plus, Kai was right – Nya was a terrible chef. None of that mattered to him though. Even those minor flaws were endearing in their own way.

Thinking of Nya trying to make something more complicated than tea eventually evolved into thinking about his brothers. Thoughts of food led to thoughts of Cole’s endless stomach and even worse hand in the kitchen. Jay’s nose scrunched thinking about the chili Cole insisted was edible. Jay’s jaw had started to lock up after the first bite. Zane’s literal iron stomach couldn’t handle it. Kai saw their attempts and tried to incinerate it rather than eat it. That only filled the kitchen with a smell that lingered for a week. Cole downed three bowls and was going back for more before Lloyd made the executive decision to toss it overboard. Nya saved the day – as usual – by coming back with take-out. They stayed up all night watching cheesy movies after that. No one could sleep when someone had to make a break for the bathroom every twenty minutes.

That memory brought others of his brothers to the surface. He thought about fighting Cole in the Tournament of Elements and the regret for that spat over Nya. He thought about managing Kai when the Red Ninja was high on Venomari venom. It was the first time Jay saw him as something other than a too-cool-for-school hot head. He thought about Zane infiltrating the Sons of Garmadon and the fear of losing his robotic brother again. He thought about Lloyd, and how the not-so-little squirt had managed to worm his way into his heart.

Eventually his mind drifted to the older part of the family. Master Wu, his parents, and even Garmadon came to the forefront. There were Wu’s lessons, lectures, and little laughs that he tried to hide when one of them did something stupid. As much as making his brothers smile kept Jay going, nothing was quite like pulling one from Wu.

Mom and dad had been the only ones to believe in him for so long. They treated him like he was the greatest thing since the Phillips-head screwdriver. They were embarrassing, but it was only because they were proud. The fact that they felt that way even though he wasn’t theirs by blood made it even more special.

Then there was Garmadon. Jay had mixed feelings – the man tried to destroy Ninjago three times – and a soft spot for Lloyd’s dad. Garmadon had shown up to help save the day twice. It wasn’t entirely altruistic either time, but that didn’t matter. He always came through when things looked grim. Besides, Garmadon was a pretty cool guy when he wasn’t consumed by evil. Jay would never say it out loud, but he had a lot of respect for the man. He was a true ninja, and the ultimate test of their skills.

Jay was roused from his daydreaming by the sound of cheering. It was closer than before. Actually, it was right behind him. He finally focused on the game again. Somehow he was on level 60. Judging by the crowd pop every time a got a frog home, that must be pretty good. The only problem was now he was paying attention. Playing on autopilot was just a matter of letting instinct take over. When he tried to focus on it, he realized he had no idea how the game worked. That ended the run pretty quickly, but his new fans didn’t seem to care. They swarmed as soon as the last frog drifted off the screen.

He couldn’t help but smile with every pat on the back and ‘sick game bro’ they delivered. The high score screen came on and everything suddenly made sense; he had blown the previous record out of the water. Second place needed a telescope to see him. The cursor blinked expectantly, and without thinking Jay put his three-letter name into the history books. Any chance of a sweet secret identity was now gone. The people in the crowd now knew who he was.

Jay knew enough about gaming culture to understand that his run was being livestreamed. Even if they all had minimal followings, the damage was done. He wouldn’t be able to lie about who he was now because the people that would be interested in him were the kind that thrived on sniffing out inconsistencies. Even Zane wasn’t as thorough as a computer addicted teenager that just saw an epic run on an arcade machine.

Sure enough, there were at least twenty cameras pointed at the machine when he turned around. The run had drawn almost everybody in the building, including the staff. He couldn’t help but flush when they started chanting his name. Getting a thank you as the Blue Ninja was common, but getting applause as Jay was not. He made an awkward little bow, and the crowd ate it up. It was like being a game show host all over again.

Jay was too short to see over the crowd, so he didn’t know that it hadn’t pulled in the entire arcade. Skee-Ball Kid was still on the other side of the room. He didn’t get close enough to see what all the fuss was about, but he could tell that something special just happened. The guy everyone had been enraptured by earlier was fuming. This was his arcade, these were his adoring fans. How dare this noob steal his spotlight.

The crowd thinned out when they realized Jay wasn’t going to do an encore. Some of them went back to watching gameplay. Others made their way out to presumably do something productive with their day. For everyone that left, two more took their place. Peak hours must be starting. Jay knew if he wanted to leave, now was the time.

He was two steps from the front door when someone shoved him.

Jay was expecting a fight, not for the assailant to be shorter than him. The kid couldn’t be more than ten – he was about the same size as Lloyd was when they first hung him on the sign in Jamanaki Village. He was wearing a red t-shirt and a dark pair of jeans. Bone white hair was pulled back in a ponytail. The thunder in his eyes told Jay he’d just kicked a hornets nest.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The kid asked expectantly. He had his hands on his hips, one foot tapping impatiently.

“Oh you know. Playing games, pondering life choices, wondering what I’m going to eat for dinner tonight. The usual.”

The kid’s eyes turned murderous, but Jay wasn’t scared. He’d faced down the Dark Lord, the Overlord, and a snake-obsessed warlord. A child with an inflated ego wouldn’t be a problem.

“A smart guy huh? Let me ask again in a way you can understand. What. Are you doing. In MY arcade?” Each new sentence was punctuated by a stomp. It would have been a little scary if the boy wasn’t four feet tall.

“Sorry kid, didn’t realize I had to ask permission. I won’t make that mistake again,” Jay said sarcastically. A crowd was starting to form, and people were starting to whisper.

“No no no no no. You aren’t getting out of this that easily. Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Uhhhh…”

That was the wrong answer. Not only did the child somehow get angrier, but the whispers turned into murmurs. Cameras started to flash, and Jay knew this was also going to be all over the internet before long.

“I am Unagami, Master of Retro Games. This is MY arcade, where only the most serious gamers are allowed to play. And YOU did NOT earn the right to use MY machines. But, since you managed to beat one of my scores, I’ll let that slide,” The kid said. That got the crowd buzzing even louder. Jay got the distinct feeling that he just dodged a bullet. “But, you have to take me on in a game of my choosing. Win and you can play here anytime. Lose, and you’re banished.”

Maybe he hadn’t dodged it after all. Jay had been given weaker ultimatums before, but he was starting to get the impression that antagonizing the kid was a bad idea. It might be best to get out before something dumb happened.

“What if I say no?”

“Then I’ll make sure you never play another video game in this city again.” Unagami threatened. The crowd gasped. Jay folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow. When Unagami mirrored the pose, Jay knew it wasn’t an empty threat.

Too late...

“Ok, you’re on. Name your game and I’ll beat you at it.” Jay replied. Letting his inner Kai take over probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but nothing could be done about it now. Unagami didn’t seem to care about the taunt. The scowl he had been wearing turned into a smirk, then widened into a cheshire grin.

“The game is Galamorph X-Post. High score wins. We play at noon. Chicken out and I’ll make sure you can’t even play the crane game at the grocery store,” Unagami crowed. Jay’s breath caught at the announcement. How dare he threaten to hold the crane game hostage!

The cabinet everyone huddled around earlier was finally revealed, and sure enough it was a Galamorph machine. Unagami must have been the one everyone was watching. If that was the case, then the kid must be a lot more dangerous than Jay had given him credit for.

Unagami gave him the smuggest look his prepubescent body could muster before stepping back into the arcade. Jay scowled before walking onto the street. The nerve of that guy to threaten him just for playing a video game.

He turned towards downtown when another person bumped into him. Jay whipped around, expecting it to be Unagami coming back for more. He was surprised to find Skee-Ball Kid nervously digging his shoe into the ground instead. This guy looked older than Unagami. Baggy jeans and a green hoodie that was two sizes too big hid most of his features. The clothes looked like they had seen better days, and Jay guessed the kid probably had too.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” The kid mumbled. His voice sent a shiver down Jay’s spine. It was heavy in both world weariness and tone. This was someone that had seen way more than any person should have.

“Shouldn’t have done what?”

“You shouldn’t have accepted Unagami’s challenge. No one beats him at his game, and no one hears from the loser again.”

Jay gulped as he processed the kid’s warning. Surely a child wasn’t that powerful. Then again, he’d seen what Master Wu was capable of as a baby. That was to say nothing about Lloyd. The idea that a ten-year-old was one of the most powerful people in this strange world wasn’t that far-fetched. So of course he had immediately made an enemy of him.

“Well, no way out of it now…” Jay started, only to realize that the stranger was gone. Quiet as an evening breeze, he slipped off while Jay was lost in his own head.

Jay was starting to realize that he just made a huge mistake. It didn’t matter if Unagami was as powerful as he claimed. The gameplay put Jay’s name and image in the wild, and now he was going to be known as the guy that had beef with a preteen. That alone could ruin the reputation he didn’t even have yet. Losing meant banishment, and whatever that entailed probably wasn’t good. Winning wasn’t much better; then he’d be the guy who beat up on a kid. Unagami had him over a barrel, and there was nothing he could do.

Jay started spiraling. He was stuck in a weird alternate version of Ninjago City and managed to royally screw himself over in less than two days. His future hinged on defeating a literal child in a video game. Win or lose the reputation he didn’t have yet was going to be trashed. It was going to make finding a way home nearly impossible if the world was always looking down on him. He’d have to rely on the others for a rescue, and who knew how long that would take. Who knew if they were even looking for him. Maybe there was some doppelganger that took his place, and they couldn’t tell the difference. Maybe all memory of him got wiped from existence, like when Cole started fading. Maybe they just wouldn’t look for him. He was lost in a strange world with no friends. No Cole to be a steady rock to lean on. No Kai to keep pushing him forward. No Zane to offer myriad solutions. No Lloyd to offer leadership. No Nya…

Keep it together man! You might be on your own right now but that doesn’t mean you’re helpless! You’re the Blue Ninja, the Master of Lightning, Nya’s Yang. You can do anything! But you gotta keep your head in the game if you want to see your family again!

The little voice in his head was right. Now wasn’t the time to panic. So what if Cole wasn’t here? Jay could ground himself just fine, temporarily. He might not have Kai’s inner fire, but he could make his own. It would have been nice to have a nindroid to find the path of least resistance, but Jay was something of a genius himself. He could figure this out with enough time. He didn’t need Lloyd to channel his ingenuity either. He could strike his own path.

Jay stood taller, reinforced with a new resolve. The way forward went through Unagami. If the kid wanted to throw a gauntlet, Jay was more than happy to pick it up.

First things first, he needed to find lunch. He needed to be at the top of his game, and that meant filling up the tank.

He took off down the street, not knowing where he was going but trusting his nose to lead him to the promised land.

Chapter Text

Jay was starting to get tired of waking up in strange places. At least this time there was a bed.

His brain started replaying yesterday’s events as it attempted to boot up. Dodgeball, the tree, the chicken, breaking down, having tea, strange lookalikes of his friends…

He wanted to believe it was all just a nightmare and he would wake up at home with his parents and everything would be okay. The staleness of the air was enough to temper those hopes. They vanished when he opened his eyes. Low rafters replaced the normal vaulted ceiling. The spacious room had been condensed into one a fraction of its usual size. Piece of parchment and gridded paper replaced posters on the walls. Knickknacks and half-finished machines sat on the shelves. Clothes of questionable cleanliness were piled next to a laundry bin and on the back of a chair. This was definitely not his room.

He didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary. Checking things out without the owner’s permission felt like an invasion of privacy. He disentangled himself from the sheets and rolled out of bed. Cold air washed over bare skin. Jay shivered and realized he was only in his boxers.

Oh man I hope I didn’t pull a Kai last night...

His shirt and shorts weren’t on the dirty clothes pile. Nor were they at the foot of the bed or tangled in the sheets. Whoever put him to sleep must have taken them.

There was a simple blue gi hanging on the door with a piece of paper pinned to it. Our Visitor was written in a clean but fancy script that reminded him of Lloyd’s mom’s handwriting. He tiptoed to the door, careful to avoid the screws and springs that littered the floor like land mines, and grabbed the robes.

Dear Jay,

I apologize for not being there when you woke up this morning, but Master Wu and I decided it was best if we left to find your way home sooner rather than later. We know this is hard for you, but we promise everything will work out. The ninja will look after you while we are away. They can be difficult at times, but I promise they mean well. They will be there for you no matter what until we return. Zane is going to launder your clothes. You can wear the training gi until he is finished.

Best,
Misako

P.S. – if you’re awake before 7:00, Zane will have hot food for you. Otherwise, we keep cereal in the pantry. Try to avoid the Honeyed Oats, Lloyd is very protective of them.

It was nice of them to offer to clean the dirty clothes. He wished they would have asked first, but it was a kind gesture nonetheless.

Jay had two choices. He could wait in the room until Zane returned the shorts or put on the offered gi and explore. The first option was enticing purely because of how unsettling the outside world was. The alternate Wu seemed ok. He didn’t know who Misako was. If the note was anything to go by, she was probably nice too. The other ninja were the problem. What would they think of him? Probably not much. Their only interaction ended with him sobbing uncontrollably. That was embarrassing no matter how justified it was. Would they like him? Also not likely, assuming what Master Wu said was true. How could they when he took the place of their friend? His friends would have been furious. What would these guys be like?

It wasn’t fair to make assumptions. Jay hadn’t even spoken to any of them. Nya didn’t count due to both of them being mid-breakdown. She didn’t throw him out of the tree when she figured out the truth though. Maybe the others wouldn’t be too bad. He couldn’t expect them to give him a chance if he wasn’t willing to do the same.

The robes fit very well, almost like they were tailored to him specifically. The rope was a little tricky, but eventually he knotted it in a way that held everything together. The hood and mask were a comfort. They weren’t his scarf but still served as a suitable replacement.

Fully clothed and mostly ready to face the world, Jay decided to explore. There was no way to tell what time it was – whoever lived in this room apparently didn’t believe in clocks – but it was probably well after breakfast. Hopefully they had something other than Lloyd’s closely guarded cereal.

He stepped out of the room and into a hallway of chaos. It was loud in color instead of sound. Pictures were plastered all over the walls. Most of them were candid shots of the ninja team. The longer Jay looked the more apparent it became that this was a giant scrap book. They must have been arranged chronologically. The ninja looked really young in the pictures outside the door and appeared to age as the hall progressed.

He moved to the head of the hall and started with the oldest photos. Kai in the shower screaming at someone. Cole cooking something. Zane in a pink apron. Other Jay covered in grease. Nya also covered in grease. Master Wu even made some appearances. Lloyd being absent was weird. The little kid that kept showing up was weirder though.

Jay walked slowly to take in everything he could. There was one of Kai standing triumphantly with a green sword in a pool of lava. He saw one of Nya in samurai armor leaning against a really cool mech. One had Other Jay drifting on a motorcycle. There was a really weird one where Cole was green. Lloyd finally showed up; he had a shot where he was staring down a black dragon. Some of the other shots were silly, but these all made this world’s ninja look awesome.

While a lot of the photos were single focus, there were more with the ninja either paired up or in groups. Nya and Zane playing chess. Kai ruffling Lloyd’s hair. Cole and Other Jay playing a video game. Cole and Other Jay arguing while Kai jumped away from a puddle. Nya and Lloyd watching a probably malfunctioning Zane run into a wall.

Scattered among the ninja photos were a lot of people Jay didn’t recognize. Master Wu was there, and so was the grey-haired lady from last night. There was female robot that appeared in pictures with either Zane or Nya. A red headed girl that looked a little like Lloyd’s mom popped up with Kai. A potbellied, middle-aged man in a brown gi photobombed a lot of the group pictures. There was a regal looking man that showed up in ones with Lloyd or Wu. An older couple were in a few with Other Jay. A guy with an eyepatch and straw hat was in photos with everyone. There were so many people Jay didn’t recognize.

The wall at the end of the hall was comparatively empty. Where the others were wallpapered with pictures, this one only had eleven. One oversized portrait sat in the middle while the other ten were arranged in a circle around it. They looked like team pictures taken over the years. The one at the top was of Kai, Cole, Other Jay, and Zane standing in a semi-circle behind a sitting Master Wu. It must have been the oldest; they were wearing the same style of gi as the earliest pictures. Jay realized that he was wearing the same one Other Jay had on…

He could unwrap the meaning behind that later. Right now there were pictures to look at. The one to the left saw the ninja in new gi. Like before, they were standing while Wu sat. Nya snuck in between Zane and Other Jay this time. The mystery kid stood next to Master Wu. Things got weird after that. Lloyd replaced the kid in the third. Zane was missing in the fourth, but Cole was holding a drawing of him. Zane ditched the fake skin for his real metallic shell in the fifth. Cole turned green in the sixth. Other Jay was wearing an eye patch in the seventh. Wu disappeared in the eighth. The pattern was broken in the ninth; Lloyd and Nya were in their own picture while the other four and a teenager shared another. It was spliced together to make one image, but it was clear they were taken in different places. The tenth saw all six ninja back in one spot, but the loose circle was a lot tighter than before. There was an eleventh frame hung between pictures one and ten. It was still empty, waiting for its occupant.

The big picture in the center was another group photo. It looked to have been taken around the same time as the third photograph. This was the only one where everyone had their hoods off. The five ninja stood in line behind Master Wu and a younger looking Lloyd. Jay couldn’t take his eyes off the smiles. Kai’s looked kinder and less mischievous than he had ever seen it. Cole’s wasn’t loose or sarcastic. Zane’s looked like he actually understood what a normal smile was supposed to look like. Lloyd looked like he was about to cry in a good way for once. Nya’s was small and soft. Other Jay’s was borderline cocky. All of them were so much different than the ones he knew, yet they all looked at home.

Jay wasn’t normally one to pry in other people’s business, but the hallway had him curious. What kind of adventures did these guys have? Who were the other people in the pictures? Why was Cole green in a bunch of them? One thing was abundantly clear: these guys were like a family. There was a love between them the Jay only ever saw between siblings. That didn’t do much for his hope that they wouldn’t hate him. It was bad enough he replaced one of their friends, let alone someone they saw as a brother. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.

He was prepared to go back to the room and wait the whole thing out when his stomach grumbled. Tea wasn’t a good substitute for real food, and Jay hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning.

Waiting for someone to feed him wasn’t an option. They already had to have a low opinion of him and acting like a baby wasn’t going help. It wasn’t like angry stares and harsh words would be anything new – that came with the territory of befriending Lloyd. Nothing these guys could say or do would be worse than what his classmates came up with.

Resigned to his fate, Jay walked into the next room. It was just as distracting as the hall had been. The rectangular room had probably been a dojo at one point. That time had long passed, as it looked like someone had converted it into a trophy room. There was so much stuff in it. From rusted swords to shining jewels, it was a treasure trove of random bits that his mother would have loved.

The right side was covered in weapons. Scythes, spears, and everything in between hung on the walls. Some of them looked old and broken. Others looked priceless. Jay noted a set of knives that shined brightly even in the dim light. Four gold-hilted swords with jagged prismatic blades hung next to them. Four more golden weapons were clustered together off to the side. These all shared the same hooked design on one end and a different appendage on the other. One had a staff, one had a chain, the third had a chainsaw, and the last was just short. There was also a jade short sword, some three-pointed throwing stars, and a red and blue double-bladed dagger. There was also an electric toothbrush for some reason. He really wanted to know the story behind it.

The left side was occupied by trophies. A giant gold cup sat on the floor. The plaque on the base read ‘NinjaBall Run Champions 2012’. A shelf above it held a smaller trophy with a giant snake fang on top. There was helmet with a stylized headpiece attached to the front. Shadows clung to it, and Jay got the feeling it was more than just headwear. A snake-themed staff leaned against a pillar. The head was shattered, and jagged pieces of glass poked up from the bottom jaw. Another snake inspired helmet hung farther down. Shards of a broken mask sat in a display case. There were a ton of miscellaneous objects hanging on the walls or set in cases. Like the picture hall, the only ones that would understand their importance were the ones that put them there.

A trapezoidal alcove in the center wall divided the two halves. Three golden weapons were on display on the middle wall. A scythe, and sword, and a pair of shurikens shown dully in the lantern light. There were hooks on the left side for another weapon. Jay figured they were decorative. Who made weapons out of gold? Chemistry class taught him that it was a soft metal. Surely it would be useless in a fight. Maybe they were trophies. That made sense. The ninja must have won them somewhere. The missing weapon must be something they won recently and hadn’t had time to hang up yet.

Three chunks of wood were framed underneath the display. Each one was engraved with a year – 2011, 2012, and 2018. Those were probably the years the weapons were won. It would have been nice if they labelled what year belonged to what weapon. Why they chose pieces of scrap to mark the events was odd. Jay knew he was missing something. One of the others would have to explain, if they would even talk to him.

The diagonal walls weren’t empty. Each had a small table with a bowl and candle. A set of black and gold robes with a green sash lay on the right table. A staff, much like the one Wu used the night before, leaned against the wall. A green and grey gi was folded on the other. Coiled ropes and a dragon emblem were placed on top. An old kite was placed against the side. Jay had seen set ups like these. They were memorials, but usually they had pictures to commemorate the dead. Neither of these did. He was kind of glad. Things were hard enough without finding out the counterpart for someone he knew had departed.

He didn’t spend as long in the central room. The need for food was too strong. That and the shrines were a little unsettling.

The other hallway was a lot blander. The walls were empty, save the occasional crack in the plaster. Sunlight trickled in through the windows. It was a lot brighter outside now than when he was in the other corridor.

How long have I been looking at stuff?

Most of the doors were closed. Jay wasn’t keen on opening any of them. The hallways and main room were meant for people to see. Opening closed doors felt like it was crossing a line.

One door was left open. He poked his head in cautiously, hoping he wasn’t interrupting anything. It was unoccupied, but not empty. Cabinets lined the far wall. A sink sat underneath a window. To his left was a small stove and refrigerator. To the right was a half opened sliding door that looked like it belonged to a pantry. A wooden table sat in the middle of the far side.

Guess I found the kitchen…

A silver dome and a glass of orange juice sat on the table. A neatly folded piece of paper was propped up in front. ‘For Baby Jay’ was printed in twelve point, Times New Roman on the front. This was Zane’s handiwork, no doubt about it.

Dear Baby Jay,

I apologize if the nickname is not what you prefer, but as I have not yet had a chance to communicate with you properly, I am forced to rely on the one chosen by the team. Please enjoy the omelet and orange juice. If it is cold when you read this message, or if you would prefer a different meal, there are myriad choices of cereal in the far cabinet. I would advise against touching the Honeyed Oats, Lloyd is highly protective of them. The team has split up temporarily, but we will return after our respective missions are finished. Kai and Cole will remain at the monastery with you. Should you require my assistance, I am reachable by their communicators or the hotline in the common room. If those methods fail, please contact the number listed below and state the emergency code Executive Cucumber.

Regards,
Zane

The nickname was insulting but accurate considering what little information they had. His friends would have come up with something similar. Honestly, he had been expecting worse.

The other ninja being away was both a relief and a disappointment. The idea of being in the same room as one of them, never mind all five, was scary. There was also the part where they would probably be mad that he replaced Other Jay. Half of them bolting at the first opportunity wasn’t a good sign. The faint hope he had of making friends with them grew dimmer by the second.

He wasn’t ready to give up on the idea just yet. The notes sounded nice enough, and they did leave breakfast. Everything he saw in the hallway made it seem like these were good people too. Jay desperately wanted them to not hate him. Liking him might be a tough ask, but a neutral opinion was achievable.

Cole and Kai were supposed to be his supervisors. That wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened. If they were anything like his friends, it might even be preferable. Cole was the most easygoing person on the planet. Lloyd was the least likely to be judgmental, but Cole was second. Odds were he would be ambivalent to Jay’s presence already. Kai was a wild card. He was just as likely to be angry and confrontational as laid-back and accepting. The only way to find out was to find them.

Jay was starting to think this was a mistake. Seeking out the ninja turned out to be a good idea. Cole and Kai were awesome. Their spar was like something out of his dad’s movies, only better. The stunt coordinators that complained about the fight scenes being unrealistic didn’t know what they were talking about.

No, the mistake was getting in the car with them. If Cole’s driving was better than his cooking, Jay would have to remember to never eat anything the man made. Some of that could be blamed on the fact the car was a giant drill. Kai being annoying probably didn’t help. Still, Jay wasn’t going to give the ride a good review.

Poor driving aside, these guys were cooler than he ever could have imagined. The fight had been one of the most amazing things he had ever seen. Kai was a blur, and Jay was sure he saw smoke curling from the Red Ninja’s feet towards the end. Cole standing in and taking the punishment without flinching was equally impressive. Then there was the story about fighting ghosts. That was way more interesting than anything he had ever done.

The worry about them not liking him faded. These two treated him like an honored guest rather than a disappointing annoyance. He was still stunned that they weren’t mad. Angry at the world, sure, but not mad at him. They were nice and kind and a little goofy. The opportunity to salvage more than a begrudging acceptance of his presence was more than he could have hoped for.

Jay wasn’t sure how he was going to reconcile the differences with the resemblance to his friends at first. It didn’t end up being a problem. Cole was more expressive but also softer around the edges. This one was a lot easier to talk to. The reaction to finding out the pantry was empty was more emotion than Jay had ever seen his own Cole show. He wasn’t sure what to make of Kai yet. The ferocity from the fight was terrifying but following it up by playing around with the letter showed a softer side that Jay didn’t know Kai had. It was like he couldn’t decide if he was an adult or a twelve-year-old. Yes, the differences were stark, but they weren’t bad.

He was thankful they were willing to put up with the questions. Now that the panic had subsided and he started getting comfortable, his curiosity was coming to the surface. There was so much about this world that he wanted to know. What other environments were out there? What about other villages? He never considered the idea that people could live somewhere that wasn’t Ninjago City. What other allies did the ninja have? Clearly Master Wu wasn’t the only person on the team. Maybe Jay could recruit some help in his own world if he found out about the others.

Most of those went unanswered. Partly because he was still a little nervous about asking, but mostly because Kai and Cole hadn’t stopped bickering since they left the monastery. It was starting to look like they wouldn’t stop until there was food in their mouths either. They weren’t mad, it just seemed to be something they did. It reminded him of Kai and Nya. They really were siblings. Them being so quick to accept him even though he wasn’t their Jay made him want to cry.

Cole pulled the drill into a parking lot downtown. More accurately, he drilled under a parking lot downtown.

“I don’t think the city is going to like that,” Kai said.

“They’ll get over it. We have more important things to worry about, like getting some grub before she runs out!” Cole replied.

“The only time she ever runs out is after you’ve been here.”

Jay wished he had asked where they were going. Cole mentioned something about food, but nobody explained further. There wasn’t time to ask now – Kai and Cole were on the move, and Jay didn’t want to be left alone on the street.

Chapter Text

Jay found a hot dog cart a couple of blocks from Unagami’s arcade. Thankfully it was close enough that he wouldn’t get lost.

The purchase and immediate destruction of the processed meat tube only took about ten minutes. Walking back would take a little more than five, so he used the extra time to explore.

This was definitely the rough part of town. He initially thought it was just low income or an industrial park. Closer inspection said otherwise. A lot of the signage was faded or defaced, but he could tell some of the stores had been bakeries or sandwich shops or jewelers or shoe stores. A lot of them were crumbling, but it wasn’t from the passage of time. He’d seen enough battle-damaged buildings to know when one was smashed. Some of the holes looked like they’d been made by rocket blasts, too.

Graffiti was prevalent in this area. A lot of the buildings had been tagged. Some were hit harder than others, but a large number had some kind of artwork sprayed on their sides. Jay wasn’t an art snob, but he could tell when paintings were done by different artists. Everything in the blocks surrounding Unagami’s arcade was hard edged with precise angles. It was clinical, almost robotic. Red and black with touches of dark green dominated the color palate. The red V and bar were prominent in every picture.

Things changed the further he got from the arcade. Buildings were still defaced, but the blocks to the north were dominated by purple and acid green artwork. Solid lines gave way to soft, messy ones that weren’t done with nearly the same level of skill. Wide curves replaced sharp turns. A cartoonish image of a rat marked most of the structures. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that these were claimed territories. It would have been nice to have Cole or Kai around right now. They spent enough time working on street crime over the last few years to know how dangerous a territory was by the tagging. Things might be different here, but Jay would still trust their judgment over his own.

He ran out of time to explore. Unagami’s challenge was more important than deciphering vandalism. He made a mental note to look up what the graffiti meant late. It would be good to know what areas to avoid and what ones were relatively safe.

Things were different in the arcade this time. There had been a good crowd earlier in the day, but now it was packed. Jay drew his hood and squeezed through the door. There were so many people it was nearly impossible to get inside. The building was buzzing with excitement, and it only got louder when he entered.

Word sure got out fast.

He didn’t get the chance to think about it. The sea parted, forming a corridor that led straight to the underaged menace. Cameras flashed as he walked down the aisle. Money was changing hands in the background. He didn’t miss the whispers about how he was about to become Unagami’s next victim

We’ll see about that…

The kid was dripping with a confidence that even Kai couldn’t match. Jay kept a neutral expression as he faced his challenger. Unagami was at least a foot shorter, so Jay had to literally look down on him. The two stared into each other’s eyes, arms crossed and stances tight. Blinking would show weakness, and neither wanted to give the other the satisfaction.

This must be what Kai felt like in the Slither Pit.

“Ladies and gentleman!” A booming voice got everyone’s attention. The crowd parted, revealing a woman in a red and black kimono. Pink and white make-up striped her face. A red pick held her hair in a bun. “This is the moment you have all been waiting for! In today’s match-up, we have the Master of Retro Games, the Arcade King of Ninjago City South, and the Undisputed Champion of All Action Games - Unagami!”

The crowd roared. Jay rolled his eyes.

“Versus! The upstart ninja wannabe who set the internet on fire with his epic Frogger run this morning! The black-clad Angel of the Amphibians with lightning quick reflexes, Jay!” The crowd cheered again. Some chanted his name. Some booed. All were excited to see him play again.

“Unagami has challenged Jay to a game of Galamorph X-Post. As per the rules, Jay will be recognized as one of Ninjago’s best gamers if he wins. If he loses, he will be sent to Garmadon’s Island and fired from the volcano!” Oh. Oh no. So that was what banishment meant. Jay thought that he would be blacklisted or something, not killed. How did this tiny terror have that kind of power? “Each player will have one run with three lives. The winner will be whoever has a higher final score. Since Unagami is the challenger, he will go first. Jay will then have to beat his score to win. Tie goes to the challenger. Players, ARE! YOU! READY?!”

“I’m ready. Let’s see if the fresh meat can hang with me in my game,” Unagami taunted.

“Yeah, yeah. Less talk, more action, kid,” Jay called back. There were scattered gasps and louder cheers from their adoring fans. Unagami sneered, and Jay just smirked. He couldn’t help pushing the boy’s buttons. He knew that Unagami had set the whole thing up to embarrass him in front of a big audience. A tenner and two pieces of candy said it was going to be livestreamed to an even larger one than was gathered in person.

Jay had to admit that this was kind of cool. The lady really knew how to work a crowd, and Unagami played it up like a pro. Too bad it wasn’t going to go like they thought.

Galamorph X-Post was never the most popular game because it was so unforgiving to new players. The fact there was a cabinet here – and that Unagami had chosen it for their fight – meant the kid had to be good. Jay was willing to bet this was the game he used to beat up people deemed ‘unworthy of playing in his arcade’. He probably thought Jay was a newbie that he could roll over. He would be wrong. An old GX-P cabinet was the only game available in the junkyard growing up, and he’d been crushing it since he was in diapers. This was his game, not Unagami’s, and the city was about to find out that there was a new Master in town.

Unagami was good. Jay was willing to give him that. He would have said as much if the gnat wasn’t so arrogant.

The target score was 7900 points. It was good enough to get on the high score list at number four. It was better than anything Kai, Cole, or Zane had been able to achieve. It was still beatable.

Unagami wore a wide grin as he stepped away from the controls. The crowd was cheering. Money was being passed around again. Jay knew they were writing him off already. He faced the audience and threw the cockiest smile he could before strutting up to the panel.

Galamorph X-Post was a simple game. The player controlled a spaceship that could move laterally along the bottom of the screen and fire laser blasts. The enemy spawned at the top in rows of spaceships. Some would break off periodically and fly towards the player, who then had the option of destroying the ships to score points or avoiding them until they flew off the screen. Different ships had different attacks, and some were worth more points than others. The level ended when all the enemy ships were gone. More rows would then spawn in, and the cycle would continue. Every tenth level one big ship would come that the player had to destroy to move on.

It was simple, not easy. The enemy got faster the longer the game went on. That made it harder not only to dodge, but also to score. Jay had seen people go four or five levels without destroying a ship when they got deep into a run. The trick to a high score was rack up points early before the speed became unmanageable.

The arcade went silent after the opening crawl. Jay cracked his knuckles and settled in. He was confident, but 7900 was nothing to sneeze at. This was going to take some focus.

Things were quiet in the beginning. There was some scattered applause when Jay got out of jams and ohhs and awws when he pulled off difficult maneuvers. The first death came at 2700. Unagami made a snide comment that Jay ignored. He barely heard the murmurs from the crowd. They didn’t know it was on purpose. The twerp wanted a show, and that required a little drama. Jay was happy to oblige.

The trash talk slowed when he got to 4750 without losing another life. He could tell the kid was starting to get nervous. Jay was racking up points much quicker than he had been. The crowd fed off it. They knew Jay was in a better position. There was still a long way to go, but it was clear this wasn’t going to be the dusting everyone expected.

He lost the second life at 5970. This one wasn’t on purpose. He’d been trying to show off and found himself boxed into a corner without an exit. Conceding the second ship was bad, but not the end of the game. It did suck the energy out of the building though. Everyone knew the margin for error was gone. Unagami said something derogatory that Jay studiously ignored. It was time to get serious.

The excitement ratcheted up at 7400. The game got faster, and Jay kept finding himself in jams. It was only a lifetime of playing that kept him from disaster. Every narrow escape and expertly timed shot sent a thrill through the crowd. Unagami was still chirping, but it lacked the bite from before. He was getting nervous again, Jay could tell.

The crowd started to get antsy at 7800. Jay knew nobody expected him to get this far. Everything up to this point had been an entertaining run that they expected to end in failure. Now that the goal was in sight, people weren’t sure how to feel. The talk was getting louder. The tension was palpable. Jay had it all blocked out; he was in a zone that only ninja training and years of grinding could create.

He got to 7900 halfway through the last level before the seventh boss. This was it. This was what everyone was here for. Jay needed one more kill, and he made sure to do it in the most dramatic way possible. Four ships peeled off the line and came for him. Jay made a show of dodging the first two, zipping away just before they made contact. He let the third pass as close as the game would allow without registering a hit. Then he squared up to the fourth, faced it down, a let its bolt get a few pixels from his ship before firing and dodging away at the last second.

The crowd went wild. Unagami was stunned. Money was moving again. Jay didn’t care about any of it. He was still playing. The gremlin tried to embarrass him, and now it was time to get revenge. He’d seen the high score on the machine and was determined to break it.

Around 8100 people started to notice that he was still going. Things got quiet until he approached Unagami’s all-time high score. The crowd started chanting his name at 8400. It grew louder with every destroyed ship before going silent again when he matched it at 8520. The record fell with the ninth boss, and it was met with the loudest crowd pop of the day.

The audience settled down again after the next set of enemies came in and it was clear Jay wasn’t going to stop. People started talking about how high he could go. More money moved. Even Unagami, who had been pouting since 8000, was invested.

The run finally came to an end at 9450. Jay was a little disappointed he didn’t max out the machine. Nobody else seemed to be. The cursor flashed after the game over screen, and Jay typed his name in the top slot.

Just like before, the crowd swarmed as soon as he turned around. People were chanting his name again. A few of them picked him up, and suddenly Jay was crowd surfing. The attention was intoxicating. He let himself live in the moment. Now wasn’t the time to worry about whatever was going to come from this. That could come later. This was the first time in days that he could celebrate a victory.

The fans let him down after a couple of minutes. Kimono Lady forced them to clear space after and started into the after-action monologue.

“Ladies and Gentleman! We just witnessed history! In a shocking turn of events, Unagami, the Arcade King of Ninjago City South, has been defeated! His high score has been overtaken! And now, he can no longer claim the title of Undisputed Champion of All Action Games! The Emperor has been knocked off his throne, and new battles for the crown can commence. Starting this Friday, the contest will begin to see who can claim the title and take their place at the top of the gaming world!” The crowd went wild. Unagami looked upset. Jay would be too if a stranger just decimated his record.

“But first, I present to you the winner of this challenge!” She grabbed Jay with a much firmer grip than either expected or necessary and yanked his hand in the air. “Jay! The Frogger Prodigy! The Shooter Sensation! And a new challenger to the Throne!”

The audience cheered as she held his arm in the air. Cameras flashed. Money was passed around again. People were making a much bigger deal out of this than he thought was warranted.

It was starting to get dark before the building thinned out. The game had taken about two and half hours. People hung around for another seven after. Some were patrons that used the arcade for its intended purpose. A lot were spectators either watching or trying to get autographs. Jay signed so many that his hand started to cramp. Unagami was in the same boat. Apparently losing didn’t absolve him of having to write out his name a thousand times.

A pair of news crews showed up around 18:00. They must have been from competing stations – the reporters and camera people spent more time passive aggressively complimenting each other than trying to do their segments.

Two interviews and a couple of hundred more autographs later, Jay finally made it out of the building. It was dark, and the shelter problem suddenly became very important. He was considering finding a park bench or an abandoned rooftop when someone bumped into him.

Is this going to happen every time I leave the arcade?

Jay turned around and saw Skee-Ball Kid again. Still skulking around in the oversized hoodie, the guy didn’t look any better than earlier.

“Nice game. Hope you can keep it up. It would be a shame to see so much potential go to waste,” he said. Jay wasn’t sure if the shiver that went down his spine was from the words or the cold wind that started to blow down the street.

“Haha, ha. Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the show,” Jay laughed.

“I did. And so did a lot of other people. Unagami’s had that coming for a long time. Now that the Throne is open, things might start to change.” The cryptic message was definitely responsible for the shiver this time. “A lot of things are about to happen. You need to join the challenge when you get the invitation. It’s the only way you’ll ever get home.”

That was ominous. What was this throne people kept talking about? Kimono Lady mentioned it, but Jay thought it was just a figure of speech. Then again, he’d thought the same thing about Unagami’s threat of banishment. That turned out to be a big – almost deadly – mistake.

That was all secondary to the fact that this guy knew Jay was from a different realm. He wanted to ask about that, and a lot of other things, but didn’t get the chance to ask about it. Skee-Ball Kid disappeared as quietly as before.

How does he do that?

Jay didn’t have time to pout. A second person decided to invade his personal space. It was Unagami again. The kid was a lot more modest this time. He was still obviously upset, but at least there were no threats this time.

“Congratulations, I guess. You’re a better gamer than I thought,” he ground out. If the squirt was going to try being cordial, Jay supposed he could too.

“Thanks. Those were some pretty impressive scores you put up. We should play again sometime.”

Unagami’s mood improved a little at the compliment. “You’re on! Just, not right now. Guess I need to sharpen my skills before I’m ready to take you on again.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Jay said with a wink and a smile. He was mature enough to admit things had been handled poorly today. It looked like Unagami might be too. Maybe this was the first step toward a new friendship.

“I didn’t stop you just to congratulate you. Like I said before, we’re even from this morning. But now that you’ve beaten my high score in GX-P, I’m obligated to invite you to the battle,” he said, eyes blazing with a fire that Jay hadn’t expected.

“The battle?”

“Yeah. I was the Emperor until you beat me. Rules say that because I lost anyone can claim the Throne if they beat the other Masters.”

“Ok, slow down. Throne? Emperor? What’s going on here?” Jay asked. Unagami was unimpressed. He acted like this was common knowledge. It probably was to anyone that actually lived here.

“Wow, I can’t believe I lost a noob like you,” he said sourly. Maybe Jay jumped the gun thinking they could be friends. He folded his arms and looked down with a frown. “Alright, here’s the deal. The Empire is made up of seven categories. You have the beat ‘em up, rhythm, puzzle, shooting, fighting, redemption, and racing games. The best players in each category are called Game Masters. Anyone who beats a Game Master at their own category gets to be the new Game Master. If you beat them all, you get to be the Undisputed Champion of All Action Games, also called the Emperor. That was me, but because I lost a challenge, I have to vacate the Emperor’s Throne and all the titles go back to the last people that held them. Now anyone in the Empire can challenge the Game Masters again.”

That made sense. Kind of. At least it explained how Unagami had so much power. Gaming looked like it was a big deal here. Being considered the best probably came with a lot of perks. The ability to order human sacrifice was a little extreme, but it wasn’t the most outrageous thing he’d heard.

“I have sooo many questions,” Jay said under his breath. Unagami snorted in response.

“You might want to get out of the dojo and onto the internet a little more, Ninja Boy.”

Dude you have no idea…

“So, this ‘battle’, when does it happen?”

“Friday. Starting at noon you can challenge any Game Master at any time. It’ll go until someone wins the Throne. Took me two months to get everyone last time, but people had been fighting for over two years before that.” Jay was starting to think he had just opened a really big can of worms. “That’s all I’m going to give you. You want any more info, you’re gonna have to find it yourself.”

Is this what Skee-Ball Kid was talking about? Joining this fight? How does that help me get home? Guess there’s one way to find out…

“So, Ninja Jay, would you like to enter Prime Empire?”

Chapter Text

Chen’s Noodle House prided itself on selling high-quality, low-cost noodles to the people of Ninjago City. At least, it used to. The first thing Skylor did after taking over was raise the prices. It never made money under her father’s stewardship. The restaurant was just a money pit that he used as a tax write-off. That worked when there was a sprawling empire of illegal activity providing additional income. That network crumbled when Clouse and her father were banished to the Cursed Realm. The only thing left standing when the dust settled was the noodle house and a mountain of debt.

She wasn’t complaining. Considering what happened to other adversaries of the ninja, this was a blessing. It was an established restaurant with a good reputation and a loyal customer base. It didn’t take much to convince the in-house cooks to stay – not having to work for her father was enough. The hard part was keeping up with the demand. She couldn’t mass produce food like before. Often times she had to work in both the kitchen and dining room to keep up with the orders. Still, it was better than the alternative.

The collapse of the empire left a lot of unfulfilled obligations. She wasn’t about to step into her father’s shoes, so rather than see the contracts through, she bought them out. It meant leveraging everything she had, but it provided a fresh start. The business was out of the red five years later. A lot of that had to do with the three men that just walked through the front door.

The ninja had been invaluable in getting things turned around. Not only did they spend a stupid amount on food every week, but they lent her some of the collateral to keep the debt collectors away. She couldn’t help but wonder how they outsmarted her father. Who loaned valuable items to the girl that tried to have them killed? Good, but dumb, people. Skylor considered herself lucky that they were willing to give her a second chance. It was a debt she doubted could ever be repaid.

Cole, Kai, and Jay slid into their reserved booth. She made sure it was always empty in case they wanted to stop by. It was actually more profitable to not let people sit there. At least one of the six came in every day and they always bought a lot of food.

“Evening boys, what can I get for you?” she asked. They always got her personal attention too. Some of that was because she felt like they were owed it. A lot of it was because one of them was pretty cute.

“The usual, Sky. Oh, uh, actually can we get a menu?” Kai said. Skylor quirked an eyebrow. They had known the menu by heart for at least five years by now. It didn’t take long to figure out something was up. Kai’s hair was less than immaculate. Cole looked exhausted. Jay was turtling in a training gi.

What have you guys gotten into now?

“Right. You guys want to tell me what’s going on?” she asked. Cole and Kai shared a look.

“We don’t really know yet. We got rid of the Oni but…” Cole started. He turned his gaze towards Jay like it would explain everything. Jay was definitely younger than the last time she saw him. The little guy looked terrified hiding in the sea of blue fabric, but he mustered enough courage to give her a little wave. Skylor gave him a warm smile and waved back. His cheeks reddened, and she thought it was the second cutest thing ever. That it was making Kai jealous was a bonus.

“Thanks for that, by the way. Demons running around town really ruined business for a few days,” she said dryly. Kai laughed a little too hard. Cole gave a weak chuckle just to be polite. Small Jay giggled as he emerged from the robes.

“All in a day’s work,” Kai said, lacing his fingers and stretching his arms above his head. Skylor just smiled and shook her head. “Cole and I are keeping an eye on Baby Jay while the others do their stuff.”

She couldn’t believe Baby Jay was what they were going with. Then the kid ducked back into the gi. What little she could see of his face turned a different shade of pink.

You know what, it fits.

“How about we go with the regular for us and an order of Puffy Potstickers for the little guy,” Cole said.

“Sounds good, I’ll have it right out.”

The ninja were a highly complex team with varied skills and differing personalities. Knowing all of this, Skylor expected them to have unique tastes. She tried to tailor their meals to what she knew they liked. Kai always got something a little spicier than he could handle. Zane’s food was simple but garnished elegantly. Jay’s plates were the testing grounds for new seasoning combinations. Cole like savory, or sweet, or really anything she put in front of him. Nya loved sushi. Lloyd never ordered his own food but would steal bits and pieces from the others.

It was hard to keep up with, and one day the lunch rush caught up with her. The wrong order went out to the group, and a mortified Skylor rushed out to apologize only to find it already half eaten. Lloyd told her later that they appreciated the effort she put into making the dishes special, but that they would eat anything she gave them. That didn’t stop her from experimenting. It became her mission to create something they would love beyond the regular bowl of noodles. After about a year of trial and error, she nailed down some flavor combinations that they absolutely adored.

The dishes were only meant for the ninja. A specialized secret menu was the smallest thank you she could give. Zane was the one that suggested the food be made public. He reasoned that the business could make a lot of money if the food was marketed as ‘Ninja Approved’. The nindroid had been right, as always. Kai’s Fireball Chicken Katsu and Cole’s Sweet Pork Gyoza were two of her best sellers. The only downside was that the boys always fought over who’s dish was the best seller that week.

Despite having personalized flavor packages, the team didn’t actually have a regular dish. Skylor was constantly tweaking things to see what other combinations worked well. She was going to keep things simple tonight. They had enough on their figurative plate. Kai’s bowl featured his base spice mix on some udon. Cole got two bowls of sweet onion garlic ramen and a side of gyoza. They ordered some Puffy Potstickers for Baby Jay, but she also added a bowl of Regular Jay’s preferred curry. A set of fortune cookies completed the meal.

Satisfied with the food and exhausted from the day, Skylor walked out to join the boys. Whatever chaos they found themselves in now would be a welcome break from the food service industry. Cole and Kai were sat across from each other. Baby Jay was on Cole’s right next to the aisle. Skylor gave Kai a little shove and took the open seat next to him.

“So. You guys want to tell me why Jay is suddenly fifteen again?” she asked. Cole already had a mouthful of noodles, and Baby Jay was too busy becoming one with his clothes to answer. Kai stirred his udon around for a second before finally attempting to answer.

“Honestly, we have no idea. We made this kick ass tornado to banish the Oni and Big Jay never came out of it. We found Baby Jay stuck in a tree three hours later. Wu and the others left this morning to do Garmadon-knows-what, so Cole and I are in charge of keeping the little guy alive,” Kai recapped. Cole nodded an affirmation as he slurped up the noodles hanging from his mouth. Baby Jay stayed silent. She gave him a soft smile, and that seemed to loosen the boy up enough to start emerging from the fabric cavern again.

“Did you really think bringing a kid who fell from the sky a day ago into the city was a good idea?”

“Mmph. Didn’t have a choice. We were out of food. Couldn’t leave him alone at the monastery,” Cole said through a mouthful of gyoza.

“And you didn’t order out because?”

“Huh. Guess we could have done that…”

Idiots.

“But then we wouldn’t get to see you! Besides, we couldn’t keep Baby Jay locked in the monastery forever. It gets sooo boring up there,” Kai said. Skylor got the feeling the first part of that was a bigger factor than the second.

“Hey Sky, can you turn the TV up?” Cole asked. She obliged, twisting around to raise the volume on the television Cole was pointing at.

“-rting live from Ninjago City North where the crime wave continues. We had a brief respite when the city was besieged by the latest round of extra-dimensional visitors, but it appears that our own homegrown bad guys are starting to make a comeback. Reports of vandalism in Ninjago City South and muggings in Downtown continue to rise as the police scramble to apprehend the perpetrators. Meanwhile, we’re outside the Explorer’s Club, where the Mystery Thief has struck again. Mr. Cecil Putnam, manager and proprietor of the establishment, has been gracious enough to talk to us. Mr. Putnam, when did this happen?”

“Thank you, Ms. Gossip. Yes, this Mystery fellow broke in earlier today. Less than an hour ago I believe. I was at the front desk when I heard a terrible racket emanating from the collection room. I went to investigate, but when I opened the door, no one was there.”

“Did they take anything?”

“That’s the odd thing. The room that they broke into was full of rare and valuable artifacts, but they only took a single, common crystal. I can’t for the life of me understand why they would go to the trouble of stealing if.”

“Thank you Mr. Putnam. There you have it folks, the fifth burglary in as many weeks. The police have yet to identify any suspects, and it’s left everyone wondering – who is the Mystery Thief, and where will they strike next? I’m Gayle Gossip with NGTV News. Back to you Dan.”

“Thanks Gayle, excellent reporting as always. We’ll be back after these messages…”

Skylor changed the channel. The news was depressing. Besides, it looked like Cole and Kai had seen what they needed to see.

“What’s up with this crime wave? We haven’t heard anything about it,” Kai questioned. She wasn’t surprised; seeing them anywhere but the noodle house was rare these days. They used to help the police patrol in their free time, but that stopped after their master disappeared. A couple would still show up if an especially dangerous criminal was loose, but the days of seeing all six of them were few and far between.

“It’s the Sons of Garmadon again. They’ve been making a mess for a while now. It was more low key before, but the group went haywire after we dropped a building on their leader. They’ve been causing chaos all over the city for the last few weeks. It hasn’t been anything too serious, so the police probably didn’t think it was worth getting you guys involved,” Skylor answered. The Sons of Garmadon had been causing trouble for as long as Skylor had been in the city. It started as a regular biker gang. Everyone knew what it became, but they’d been annoying the boys in blue long before that.

“Y-you dropped a building on their leader?” Baby Jay squeaked. Skylor could see both the terror and awe in the kid’s eyes. The desire to know more seemed to beat out the fear.

“More like a giant rock monster that Garmadon and I were fighting over did. You’ll have to ask Lloyd or Nya about it. I don’t remember very much,” she replied. It did nothing to damper the awe-stricken stare that had taken over Baby Jay’s face.

“You fought Garmadon on your own? That’s so ninja…” he whispered. That wasn’t completely true, but she wasn’t going to say otherwise. Making the correction wasn’t worth destroying whatever mental image he coming up with.

“Hey, I fought Garmadon too!” Kai said indignantly. Cole just rolled his eyes as he swiped another potsticker.

“Yeah, and he kicked your ass.”

“Not true! I beat him on the Bounty that one time!”

“He wasn’t even fighting back!”

Skylor shook her head and smiled as the two argued. Baby Jay giggled. She watched as he finally took a bite of one of the potstickers. The kid was lucky Cole hadn’t eaten the whole plate yet.

She was going to have a talk with Lloyd about leaving him with these two. While it might have been a fine idea on paper – Kai’s emotional intelligence was next level and Cole could steady anyone with a touch – neither of them should be trusted with a child. Baby Jay might not be an actual baby, but a teenager was still more than they could handle.

Kai was right though. He might have backed his way into it, but he was right. They couldn’t keep this kid cooped up in the monastery. He needed another voice to lean on. Skylor might be busy, but coming to her was the right choice.

“Hey,” she said softly. Baby Jay’s eyes went wide when she addressed him. His cheeks, currently filled with potsticker, reddened a bit. Skylor cracked open a fortune cookie and scribbled on the back of it. “These two morons are really good at a lot of things, and they’ll do everything they can to make sure you’re safe. You can always count on them for that. But they can be airheads sometimes. If you ever need someone with a brain to talk to, give me a call.”

Baby Jay swallowed hard and fumbled with the paper.

“Thank you, uh…”

“Skylor, but you can call me Sky,” she said with a wink. Baby Jay smiled a little brighter and stuffed the paper in the folds of his gi. It was obvious why Nya liked the older version so much. She slapped Kai on the back of the head before exiting the booth. “Dinner’s on the house tonight boys. I have work to do but let me know if you need anything else.”

Kai gave her sad puppy dog eyes as she turned to walk away. She smirked and blew him a kiss before heading back to the kitchen. Catching up with the ninja was nice, but there was still work to be done.

When Cyrus Borg designed P.I.X.A.L, the intent was to create an assistant capable of handling not only the day-to-day minutia of his life, but also the more complex problems that came with being a world-renowned inventor. She was perfect for her role. Zane changed that when he gave her half of his power source. Now the ideal assistant was a capable fighter and an ingenious inventor in her own right. More than that, she became her own person. The Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Lifeform became Pixal, the girl who could do anything. She could build anything or answer any question. Two things she could not do was understand the ninja or make them understand logic.

She found out about Lloyd and Nya’s vanishing act when Zane walked in that morning. The plan had always been for the two of them to try and work out a scientific reason behind Jay’s disappearance. Had she known the others were leaving too, she would have insisted he stay with Kai and Cole to assist with their visitor. Yes, they required the support of the Borg Industries computers, but she was more than capable of doing what they needed on her own. Zane hadn’t seen it that way, and there was no point in arguing now that he was there.

The choice to leave the newcomer with Kai and Cole was perplexing. They were fine ninja but chaotic people. Leaving a teenager with them was unwise. She didn’t fear for any of their safety, but she was concerned for the poor boy’s sanity. It would have been better if one of Lloyd and Nya stayed behind. Even having Zane around would have been preferable.

Speaking of Zane, the other nindroid was hiding something. Pixal had been poking him about it, but he was resolute in not giving anything away until there was confirmation. It was both frustrating and a little concerning. Zane usually told her everything. Moreover, he was supposed to be the rational one on the team. This was decidedly not rational.

The trio paying Borg Industries a visit was a surprise. Zane hadn’t called them – or been at the building since that morning – so she was in the dark regarding what they needed.

Cole and Kai were arguing over something when the elevator doors opened. Baby Jay – who’s idea was that? – stared in awe at everything in Dr. Borg’s office. Just like the older version, he was dazzled by the technological advancements.

“Good evening boys. How may I assist you?” she greeted. Baby Jay ducked into his robes at the sudden attention. She may have to retract her earlier criticism of the name.

“Hey Pix, just the nindroid we were looking for,” Kai replied. That was curious. Zane was usually their go-to for nindroid needs. They only came to Pixal when he wasn’t available or they needed to go over his head. Social calls, from Cole and Kai especially, were rare. “What do you know about this crime wave that’s been going on?”

This was an information gathering visit then. They must be planning something. Why come to her and not Zane? It was likely they had not seen the other nindroid in a while either. If that was the case, they could have just called. Making the trip down from the Mountain of Impossible Heights to see her seemed impractical. She wouldn’t know without all the details. Now wasn’t the time to gather them, either. If they needed something bad enough to physically come to her, then she had an obligation to help with that mission. Satisfying her curiosity could wait.

“As you know, the Sons of Garmadon are a biker gang formerly under the command of Harumi, Killow, and Ultraviolet. With Harumi’s death and the imprisonment of the two lieutenants, the gang has been without competent leadership. It had been fracturing since your defeat of Garmadon and finally split approximately three weeks ago. Two factions arose out of the break-up – one that chose to return to their roots as a motorcycle club and one that chose to cause chaos. The police have done their best to stifle the more rambunctious members, but it has been difficult without knowing who now leads them.

“There is very little information about the Mystery Thief. No one has seen them, leaving the authorities without a description of who to look for. There does not appear to be a pattern to their crimes. The only constants have been the victims not realizing they had been robbed until much later, and the theft of only one object. They never visit the same location twice. The police are baffled, and I have been unable to find any correlation between the targets.”

The Mystery Thief had been a thorn in Pixal’s side for weeks. The randomness of the crimes and the lack of trace evidence made it impossible for the police to do anything. She had some ideas but couldn’t investigate on her own. Zane would have been the optimal partner to work with, but he was never around. There were other options, but Pixal didn’t believe this to be important enough to bother them.

“Weeks? Why didn’t anyone call us?” Cole asked.

Pixal wasn’t sure if she should give them the diplomatic answer or the truth. The narrative being pushed by the city was that they could handle it on their own and did not want to disturb the ninjas’ privacy. It wasn’t a secret that the team had been through a lot during Garmadon’s reign. Many – Pixal included – believed they deserved some time to themselves to recuperate. Low level crime didn’t seem like something to bother them with.

The truth was the city was trying to phase them out. The team had been somewhat reclusive since the Time Twins saga. They stopped patrolling regularly after Master Wu’s disappearance. Every year after that they made fewer and fewer public appearances. The only times any of them were in the city were for noodles or at the request of the mayor. The people took notice. While the majority of the populace was still very pro-ninja, there was a growing faction that felt like they were being abandoned. Pixal didn’t have the heart to tell them that the disillusionment was what led to the formation of the Sons of Garmadon in the first place. Harumi seized on it to put her plan into motion, but the feelings had been around since Cyrus Borg built Pixal the first time.

There was a bump in public approval after they ousted Garmadon. People thought that maybe the team was back and would be a part of everyday life again. That changed when it became clear that the six preferred to stay at the monastery. City Hall understood how valuable it was to have the ninja on their side, but public pressure was mounting. The mayor had to pivot to a more self-reliant position or risk being ousted from office. Pixal wasn’t sure it would work. An election year was just around the corner, and the mayor’s numbers didn’t look good. She feared what might happen if the team lost the trust of the city government.

She wanted to tell them the truth. She needed to. They had to understand what was going on and what could happen if things didn’t change. Now wasn’t the time though. They had too much on their plate with the loss of Big Jay and the arrival of Baby Jay. Telling them another disaster was around the corner would not be helpful. Besides, this was a situation that required the entire team. Kai and Cole wouldn’t be able to do much on their own.

“The city did not believe your help was required. The Sons of Garmadon, though a nuisance, are not currently a threat. As for the Mystery Thief, it would be pointless to clue you into an investigation when they do not have any information.” It was somewhere between the company line and reality. Zane would be proud.

“They might not want our help, but they’re gonna get it anyway. If it’s bad enough to make the news, then it’s worth us getting involved. Come on Cole, we got some skulls to crack,” Kai said with a toothy grin.

That reaction was unexpected. Pixal assumed the sudden isolationism meant they were less inclined to get involved with daily affairs. That must not be the case for Kai at least. She was going to need to reassess what she knew about the team and their priorities. For all the talk about them not visiting the city, it had been months since she visited them at the monastery.

“Let’s hold off on the skull cracking until morning. I might have overeaten a little bit.” Cole definitely looked like he needed an antacid.

“Ugh, fine. We can bash heads in the morning.”

Pixal saw a glaring flaw in their plan. Baby Jay did too. The trepidation on his face was clear when they made eye contact.

Why did they leave these two in charge?

“What do you plan to do with Baby Jay while you are out on the streets?” Based on the look Kai gave her, she knew she wouldn’t like the answer.

“Take him with us, what else? We know you guys are busy here and we’re not gonna leave him at the monastery alone.”

This was a bad idea. Pixal knew she should have lied and told them everything was under control. That went against her programming though. It was too late to lament poor choices now. Kai clearly had his mind made up and Cole wasn’t arguing against it. They really planned to drag a teenager from a foreign universe around the streets of Ninjago City while looking for a fight. Pixal wanted to be the voice of reason, but arguing with ninja that already had their minds made up was a losing battle. The best she could do was make sure none of them were killed.

“If you insist on doing this, then I have some things that might be useful.”

Chapter Text

Kai wasn’t worried when Jay didn’t show up at school the next day. Cole relayed the full story after the Garmadon attack. Broken noses sucked, and if it was as nasty as the last one had been, Kai probably wouldn’t have shown up either.

He was more preoccupied with Lloyd anyway. The hope had been that the guy would have his head on straight after talking to his uncle. Master Wu had filled the father figure role since Garmadon was ‘absent’. Getting the old man’s approval meant a lot to him, and if it was important to Lloyd then it was important to Kai.

Master Wu never showed up that night. Kai wasn’t too surprised – the bag of bones was hard to find when it wasn’t time for training. Kai appreciated everything Master Wu did for them, but damn the man knew how to hide when they needed something that wasn’t martial arts training. He normally made a point to show up after a Garmadon attack though. It was usually to preach about learning more ninja skills and not just relying on their super awesome mechs. He also tired to get them into tea, which, pass.

The team stayed with Lloyd for a couple of hours after the attack. He wasn’t in the mood to talk, so they played games instead. It was supposed to take his mind off whatever had possessed it. It didn’t work as well as they hoped. The session ended when Zane was called home. Kai and Nya had to go not long after. Cole followed them out so Lloyd could have time to think. Kai wasn’t sure that was the best idea. 'Thinking' had been the Green Ninja's problem all day. There was no point in arguing though. Whether Wu showed up or not, everything would be better tomorrow.

Kai and Lloyd had sixth period together the next day. Lloyd was still out to lunch mentally, but so was most of the class. Financial Literacy was stupid boring. Kai needed the credit, and Lloyd was only there so he didn’t have to be miserable alone.

He tried to get Lloyd to talk, but the other refused to say anything without talking to Wu first. It was frustrating, and the Fire Ninja was ready to snap.

Continuing to needle Lloyd was only going lead to an explosion, so Kai started thumbing through Chirp instead. It had been pinging non-stop since fourth period. He had been too busy worrying about Lloyd and pushing Nya’s buttons to check it. Now, with the former daydreaming and the latter not present, was the perfect opportunity to catch up.

As always, Prime Empire was dominating the feed. Most of it was about someone setting a new Frogger record. That was cool, but he was focused on the posts about the Emperor. Unagami had challenged someone to a GX-P game. Kai felt sorry for whatever idiot agreed to that. Unagami was legendary, and that was his best game. No one had come close to beating him.

Prime Empire started as a group of seven gamers. Each one specialized in a different kind of action game. They were all popular on their own, but together they were a force. Their union dominated the underground gaming community for years. Fame wasn’t forever though. They knew some day their following would age out, and trying to connect with the younger generation would only get more difficult with time. Rather than try to hold on to fading fortunes, the group decided to open things up. It would be easier to keep the Empire going with fresh blood flowing in. The influx of new talent every few years brought new audiences. Younger players and younger fans meant that even when the Original Seven retired, the Empire would live on.

The best move they made was introducing challenges. Challenges were supposed to be a way to settle arguments between the new fans and the old heads. The online discourse was good for the Empire’s popularity, but none of the Originals were happy with it. Rather than listen to people argue, they decided on an official format to prove who was better. The early matches were nothing special. When the First Master of Fighting Games challenged the First Master of Shooters, then they became a big deal. That match drew more eyes than anything on television. Advertisers realized this was an untapped market. Almost overnight, Prime Empire took its place in the mainstream, and it had been dominating Ninjago City’s entertainment industry ever since.

That was almost twenty years ago. The Original Seven retired about five years after and passed their mantles down to the next wave of gamers. The old challenge system evolved to include penalties for the loser and prizes for the winner. A leaderboard was created, and ranked matches took center stage. The seven Game Masters occupied slots two through eight on the leaderboard by default. The only way to climb to number one was to beat them all. Whoever accomplished that feat earned the title of Emperor.

No one had held the title since previous Emperor retired eight years ago. There was no point in pushing for it over the next six because the Game Masters of Redemption and Fighting were so ridiculously good at their categories. Then, two years ago, the Game Master of Redemption died without naming a successor. The Game Master of Fighting disappeared shortly after. With the two biggest obstacles out of the way, the fight for the title resumed.

Nobody knew who Unagami was or where he came from. The kid appeared out of nowhere, but he made his presence known by thrashing the Game Master of Shooters in his first match. That got everybody’s attention. All eyes had been on the prodigy since, and he always delivered.

Joining Prime Empire was the dream of everyone that picked up a game controller. An invitation meant immediate celebrity status. Acting companies and music labels fought over the right to sign its members. Tech jobs gave priority to applicants who could put membership on their resume. Acceptance also meant a boatload of cash just from participating in its events. Even those that didn’t sign a deal or take a job could make a nice living competing in the tournaments and special matches.

“Dude, you gotta see this!” Kai whispered. Lloyd looked over as stealthily as he could. His eyes got wide when he saw all the messages.

“When?” He mouthed.

“Right now! Unagami started his run a few minutes ago!”

Lloyd looked absolutely giddy at the prospect of a Prime Empire match going on in the middle of the day. It was the happiest Kai had seen him since last Friday when they all sat in the park and ate ice cream to celebrate the last day of summer vacation. He would have pulled up a stream if not for the teacher giving them the stink eye. Keeping tabs on the feed was the best he could do.

He ended up missing the entire thing. Seventh period was Metal Shop. It was the one class he was excited for that day, and he was more focused on his project than the game. Track and field practice started right after school. It was better than Master Wu’s version of conditioning, even if he’d lost interest in the sport.

A quick shower and trip through the transport tube took him to the warehouse. Lloyd was already there, fidgeting by the giant door that separated the hideout from the sea. Nya was tinkering with the Water Strider. She was muttering about engineering things that went over his head. Zane wasn’t coming. His mother volun-told him to help at the noodle shop that evening. Cole would show up at some point. Probably.

“Bro! Sis!” Kai boomed as he crossed the room.

“Actual bro! ‘Bout time you got here!” Nya yelled from atop her mech. Lloyd broke his vigil and sauntered over, a weak smile forcing its way onto his face.

“I think training’s probably cancelled today, Kai. Master Wu still hasn’t come back, Zane is busy, I haven’t seen Cole since lunch, and Jay’s still out of commission,” Lloyd said. The disappointment was evident, but Kai wasn’t sure if that was because of the lack of Wu or training getting cancelled. Either way, there was one way to lift everybody’s mood.

“No worries bro. I got us covered. Bam!” Kai yelled, thrusting his phone in Lloyd’s face. Lloyd slowly leaned back until the screen was far enough away that his eyes could focus. Nya hopped down and ran over while he tried to make sense of what Kai was trying to showing him.

“Is this Unagami’s run from earlier?!” Lloyd shouted. Kai just bounced in excitement. He might have missed it in real time but watching it with his friends was better. If only the others bothered to show up.

“Hell yeah! How’d you find this?” Nya exclaimed as she yanked the phone from his hand.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” Kai teased. He knew a guy that knew a guy that was related to the desk clerk at the arcade. This was their personal recording. The quality sucked, but this was better than waiting for the official video to come out tomorrow.

Kai connected his phone to the TV and started the show. The recording didn’t show the other guy, and it was a shame they were going to miss his run while they were watching Unagami’s, but nobody was especially upset. It wasn’t like he stood much of a chance anyway.

The trio sat on the couch and watched the professional work. Lloyd’s eyes flicked back and forth between the screen and bay door for the first twenty minutes. He almost missed a Unagami getting out of an impossibly tight spot, and from then on he was just as glued to the television as everyone else.

The run was ending when Cole burst into the room. Breathing hard and drenched in sweat, it looked like he’d run all the way from downtown.

“Guys! Guys guys GUYS!” He yelled between breaths. Kai was a little worried he was going to pass out. “Turn on Channel 5, you’re not gonna believe this!”

Lloyd fumbled with the remote while Kai and Nya tried to get Cole to explain. Cole wheezed while flapping an arm at the TV.

The news came on and three pairs of eyes were immediately attracted to it.

“-ssip reporting live from Ninjago City South, where Unagami’s reign as the of Undisputed Champion of All Action Games has officially come to an end. The Emperor met his match today when he challenged a newcomer to Galamorph X-Post, a game that he had been undefeated in until early this afternoon. Fans have been gathered in and around the arcade for hours, hoping to get an autograph from the legend and the man who beat him.”

Kai’s jaw dropped. So did Nya’s. Lloyd was doing an admirable goldfish impression. Cole was still trying to catch his breath.

Holy shit, how the hell did I miss this?

Clips from both runs came on the screen side-by-side. Kai recognized some from the recording they’d just been watching. Unagami was good, but the new guy was on another level. That became apparent when he got out of not one, but two death traps that would have had most people pounding the cabinet.

“We’re here now with the winner of today’s stunning match. Sir, how were you able to pull off this unbelievable upset?”

Kai and everyone in the room bluescreened when the camera panned to the winner. He had a mask pulled over his mouth, but the ruffled brown hair and freckles gave him away.

“Ohmygosh is that Jay?!” Nya screeched. Cole, finally recovering from his impromptu workout, nodded.

“I think so. It’s definitely his autograph,” he said. Cole pulled a signed flyer for the arcade from his pocket. The paper was crumpled, but Kai could recognize Jay’s squiggly handwriting anywhere.

“Did he seriously skip training so he could go play video games?” Nya asked. The initial shock was starting to give way to annoyance. Kai was feeling it too. Why didn’t Jay invite him if he was going to skip school and go to the arcade?

“I’m not so sure…” Lloyd said. His eyes were focused on the television, taking in every detail while Jay gave the interview. “Look how tan he is. Jay’s never outside if he doesn’t have to be, and this guy looks like he’s lived outdoors for the last ten years.”

“And he’s not stuttering either. He looks more bored with the attention than nervous,” Nya added.

Kai noticed that he looked older than their friend too. Still, there were way too many similarities for it to be a coincidence.

“Has anyone talked to Jay today? Maybe he’s got family visiting and that’s one of his cousins or something,” he asked. Lloyd and Nya looked at each other while Cole shook his head.

“Haven’t heard from him. He wasn’t at school and didn’t pick up when I called. And that’s not one of his cousins either. His mom’s an only child and everyone already knows his dad’s side of the family tree,” Cole panted. Lloyd started turning green and Nya clapped her hands over her mouth. Jay always answered his phone. He could be in a movie or the shower or on Garmadon’s Island and he would still pick up.

Kai hadn’t been worried about Jay not coming to school today. Now he was terrified. More than that, he was pissed. He should have checked up on him after the Garmadon attack. They all should have. Now something had happened to him, and they went all day without even thinking about their teammate.

“If that’s not Jay, then who is it?” Lloyd asked quietly. As always, Gayle Gossip had the answer.

“That was today’s winner, who the internet has already named ‘Ninja Jay’ after his mesmerizing Frogger run this morning and tidy black robes. Will he make an appearance again? We’ll have to wait and see. Gayle Gossip, NGTV News. Back to you Dan.”

The room went quiet. Kai looked from Lloyd to Nya to Cole. Nobody said anything for a long second, then the room descended into chaos. Lloyd frantically looked for his phone, probably trying to reach Jay. Nya started pacing. Words spilled from her mouth as she tried to plan out their next steps. Cole was silent, mouth wide open and staring off into space.

Kai didn’t let it go for long. They’d failed Jay once because they weren’t paying attention. They weren’t going to fail him again. A long, high-pitched whistle brought everyone’s attention to him.

“Alright listen up. We messed up once when we didn’t check on Jay after the fight yesterday. We aren’t gonna fix it doing whatever the hell we’re doing now. We need to get our act together,” he declared. It got Nya to compose herself, Cole to focus on the present, and Lloyd to stop digging in the couch cushions. “The way I see it, we have two questions we need to answer. What the hell happened to Jay, and who the hell is this guy that looks like him?”

Accepting Unagami’s offer was probably a bad idea. Jay had no idea what he signed up for beyond playing against the best gamers the city had to offer. He probably would have said no if Skee-Ball Kid hadn’t told him it was the only way home. Why was he listening to a stranger that shouldn’t know anything about him or his situation? That was the million-dollar question. Maybe it was something Wu set up, but why didn’t he say something back at the monastery?

Doesn’t matter which version of Master Wu you get, they’ll never give you a straight answer until it’s almost too late.

This could be a test, but it seemed awfully complicated for something Master Wu would put together. The idea that it wasn’t some kind of weird ninja exam was scarier. Only two people should know Jay didn’t belong here. How did this random kid know? Did anyone else?

Skee-Ball Kid was a problem. Did Jay trust him? No. Could he afford not to? Probably not. The guy did warn him about Unagami though. It was too little too late, but Jay knew things would have gone poorly if he didn’t go into that fight already focused. Maybe that was another test. Skee-Ball Kid could be looking for someone that could hang with the bully on the block. Jay aced the exam, and now the guy was probably trying to make him into a weapon. Or maybe he really did just want to help. The only way to answer that was to play the game.

Jay rolled over and faced the window. It was past midnight now. The city was still alive, just as his Ninjago City always was. One thing he could say about joining the Empire was that they paid well. Unagami gave him a wad of cash after he accepted the offer. It was enough to pay for three nights in a decent motel and cover food for the next few days.

He also needed to budget some for new clothes. After the Frogger incident and the interviews, he’d become synonymous with the black gi – take that, Cole – and normal clothes would now be essential to get around town.

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. There was too much to think about. After five hours of trying – and failing – go get some rest, he rolled out of bed and made the trip downstairs. The continental breakfast in the lobby had nothing on Zane’s cooking. It was all standard breakfast items. None of it really tasted like anything. He was nearly asleep in his oatmeal when Good Morning Ninjago started blaring on the TV. It had the same obnoxious intro as yesterday but was much less appealing now that he was half asleep. The Garmadon forecast was still the leading story.

At least there’s a below 30% chance he shows up today.

The second segment, rather than being a ninja spotlight, focused on yesterday’s duel with Unagami. That finally brought Jay to his senses. The other interview he’d done was playing. It was a good thing he pulled up the hood for the second one. He knew everything was going to be all over the internet, but headlining broadcast television was a bigger deal. A much wider audience was going to know about him, but at least they wouldn’t know what to look for.

Eyes started turning toward him as the interview progressed. There were whispers in the background, and Jay belatedly realized he was still in the black gi. He disposed of the bowl as nonchalantly as possible before heading back upstairs. Getting clothes might be a problem. Anything he picked up would be immediately compromised if people recognized his uniform. He needed a disguise. A quick look around the room didn’t give many other options. There was a bathrobe of questionable cleanliness and some extra towels, but that was it. Looking at the robe made his skin itch, and he was not going out in just a towel.

Jay thought about it for a few minutes before coming to the conclusion that thievery was the only choice left. Going out in public was a bad idea, so it was time to lean on the ninja skills.

There was a cluster of apartment buildings on the east side of the city. He remembered walking under the clothes lines on the way into town. Crossing the rooftops and snagging something from the higher floors would be a piece of cake.

Mind made up, he crawled out the window and scrambled onto the rooftop. The view from up high was a lot different than the one from the street. People looked like ants hurrying from building to building. The cars on the street crawled from one intersection to the next. Even the air felt different. Jay sucked in a deep breath and took off towards the east. Free running made him feel loose. Gaming with Unagami was good, but this was a lot more natural.

It didn’t take long to reach the apartments. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a jacket from the highest line he could reach. He left some money pinned on the clotheslines the outfit was reappropriated from. Jay might be a thief, but he was an ethical one.

The run back gave him plenty of time to think. It sounded like Prime Empire was the ticket home. Whether that was true hinged on the word of a stranger that Jay wasn’t sure could be trusted. There weren’t many better options though. Finding Mystake had seemed like the best course of action, but that could take forever. There was no guarantee she even existed here. Hunting dragons was still way low on the list of things he wanted to do. Skee-Ball Kid was offering the most straightforward way home. It was worth checking out, even if it was a trap.

Even a misstep can be a step in the right direction.

He could always count on Wu’s wisdom to become relevant when it was least expected.

The Secret Ninja Force was something Jay had been pushing to the back of his mind. Other things had been deemed more important. Now that life was slowing down a bit, thoughts of ninja-ing started to creep in. Playing through Prime Empire and searching for Mystake could both be done as Jay Walker. There wasn’t really a need for the Blue Ninja right now. That thought was hard to stomach. Being a ninja was a core part of his identity. Not using the skills felt wrong.

Was fighting crime really something he needed to be doing though? Looking for trouble was a good way to find it, and right now that would be a distraction he couldn’t afford. It looked like the Secret Ninja Force already had things covered anyway. He wasn’t needed. Was staying on the sidelines something he was capable of though? The fights with Wu and the Oni had only been two days ago and already the itch to get out there and do something was buzzing under his skin.

That buzzing reminded him of another problem – his lightning still wasn’t responding. Jay had hoped it was just fatigue, but after two nights of rest and still no charge, it was obvious something else was going on. This didn’t feel like when Morro possessed Lloyd. The current flowing in his veins was still very much there. Why couldn’t he channel it?

The lack of spark would make fighting difficult. This version of the ninja needed mechs to deal with their enemies. Jay’s fists were formidable, even when powered down, but he wasn’t Cole or Lloyd. A low amperage Blue Ninja was going to need a weapon. The golden one strapped to his hip didn’t count – it was way overpowered and still way broken. Finding one probably wouldn’t be easy if he wanted to keep a relatively low profile. He might be famous now, but this world’s Jay wasn’t. Running around and beating people up might make his other’s life difficult if people started getting the two mixed up.

He landed on the motel roof and slipped back into the room. There was lot to do today. Unagami didn’t give him much to go off of last night. Jay knew he needed to do some research if he wanted to get through Prime Empire alive – almost becoming Ninja Karaage once was more than enough. Finding more permanent lodgings was also a priority. The motel room was expensive, and Jay could not afford to spend time making money if he wanted to get home. Looking for Mystake was still important. If things fell through with the Empire, she was the next best bet. None of that touched on what he was going to do as far as ninja business.

Jay changed into his newly acquired clothes, grabbed a wad of cash and a keycard, and ducked back out into the city. He’d been stalling for long enough; it was time to get to work.

Chapter Text

36 hours. That was how long, to the second, it had been since they discovered Jay had disappeared. Zane hadn’t stopped working since. He had promised Master Wu he would take a break after programming the Bounty computer, but the situation changed.

He suspected something was amiss when the wrong Jay ended up at the monastery. It wasn’t a hard conclusion to come to, but he had the feeling something deeper was going on. Shortly after handing Baby Jay – honestly Kai should not be allowed to pick nicknames – off to Misako, he called Pixal. Her help was going to be invaluable. Between Zane’s readings and Falcon’s footage, they should be able to create a decent reconstruction of what happened. He hadn’t anticipated that to be so difficult.

His and Pixal’s first hypothesis was simple randomness. There was no clear pattern to the way everyone was deposited in the courtyard. Jay was the lightest, so it was possible he was thrown farther than anyone else. There was no way to know what was going on inside the Tornado, so his launch angle on ejection might have sent him out rather than up or down. The biggest problem with that was physics. Assuming they conserved energy, Jay would have been catapulted anywhere within a half-mile radius and everyone else should have been reduced to paste upon impact with the ground. If Jay did get shot put into the distance they had no footage of the flight due to Falcon getting flashbanged by the explosive dissolution of the twister.

Things got complicated – as if they were simple before – when they assumed energy was not conserved. Zane hoped this wasn’t the case. Working out what happened with classical physics was hard enough. He had to admit it was likely the case after watching Digital Cole get reduced to pudding for the fourth time. He was confident they weren’t violating any laws of nature but bending them was certainly on the table. Everything they had done up to this point had a scientific explanation. For the most part. How Cole’s chili could make a nindroid sick defied logic.

Teleportation was their second idea. What if not all of the energy generated by the Tornado of Creation went towards banishing the Oni? There was a chance some of it could have been used to create a vortex that deposited Jay somewhere else. The outlet of the portal could theoretically be anywhere on the island. The Tornado didn’t provide consistent enough energy to sustain an interdimensional portal, but an intradimensional one was certainly doable. He, with assistance from Cyrus Borg, Pixal, and Jay, had been experimenting with that already. Even their regular Spinjitzu cyclones could provide enough power to enable short distance jumps. The larger version of one should certainly be capable of more.

Then there was the trampoline option. The concept revolved around interference. Waves either add or subtract from each other when they collide depending on their synchronicity. The more in phase they are, the more the constructive the interaction. Lloyd got a physical demonstration of constructive interference when Cole launched him off a trampoline at the amusement park. Destructive interference occurs the farther out of phase they are. If one wave at its crest meets one at its trough, they zero each other out.

Supposing that each individual Spinjitzu whirlwind functioned like a wave, the Tornado of Creation would be the result of the ninja constructively interfering with each other. The more in sync they were the more powerful the overall vortex was. Four ninja working together could create amazing things. Eight Spinjitzu Masters would generate a lot more energy. However, all of them meeting in sync could prove to be too much for any one person to handle. Like Lloyd’s impromptu space flight, all eight meeting perfectly in phase could create an energy surge that forcibly ejected one unlucky participant. The resulting shockwave might push everyone else out of phase, cancelling their momentum and dropping them back in the courtyard.

This idea was a mesh of the first two. Zane knew the Tornado was too chaotic to maintain an interdimensional portal, but theoretically it had the power to open one. A rip in reality combined with a strange launch angle could explain everything. The problem was he couldn’t prove it. The hypothesis relied on a lot of assumptions that Zane had no way of testing.

All three ideas had their flaws. The biggest one was Baby Jay. None of them explained his appearance and it was starting to get on Zane’s circuits. He knew they were overlooking something. There was a variable that they weren’t considering that would tie everything together. They just needed to figure out what it was.

He was examining the possibilities when Pixal alerted him to Master Wu’s presence. Zane was so deep in thought that he would never have noticed without her interruption.

“Oh, Master Wu! My apologies. I was running some simulations and did not notice your approach,” he said.

“You need not worry about apologizing to me Zane. I was merely coming to see how you were doing. It seems you and Pixal are hard at work at, um, something.”

“Ah yes! We were just going over models of what may have happened when Jay disappeared. We have come up with some hypotheses, though we have yet to come to any solid conclusions,” Zane replied. Two guesses and a long shot technically counted as ‘some’. He didn’t want to let on that they hadn’t actually made much progress though. They were supposed to be the smart ones. Spending this much time thinking and having basically nothing to show for it was embarrassing.

“I see. I will leave you to…this. Do be sure to get some rest. It is just as vital to you as it is your teammates.” Zane appreciated the gesture. Trying to explain what they were doing would go over the master’s head, but at least he was trying.

“Of course, Master. I will set aside time for rest after we program the computer to run our calculations.” He fully intended to do so at the time. Letting his systems rest would mean improved performance for what was sure to be an exhaustive search tomorrow.

“Get some rest, Zane. I can handle programming the Bounty computer from here. By morning it will have produced all the data we require,” she said.

“I hope so Pixal. It is disappointing to have spent so much time and produced so few results.”

“The complexity of the matter has not helped. The team always seems to find itself in the most unusual predicaments.”

“Yes, we are often involved in very unique situations. It truly…” Zane froze. It was so obvious. Why hadn’t they realized it before? Of course they weren’t having any luck – they had been looking at this like it was a regular occurrence. Nothing about the ninja was normal. Their confounding variable was something that only the ninja would have to deal with.

“Excuse me Pixal, I must speak with Master Wu. I think I may have solved our problem.”

The Golden Weapons were a riddle that Zane had never been able to fully solve. He possessed the Shurikens of Ice for about a year between their retrieval and Garmadon’s theft. There had been plenty of time to get in tune with them, but the Weapons of Creation had plenty more secrets. Continuing that investigation had been running in the background since the idea of their recreation was posed. That hope was dashed when he picked up the first Shuriken. The Master of Fire might have been able to create an imitation, but they weren’t the same as the originals. This was the basis of Zane’s new idea.

Zane was standing inside Jay’s room. The monastery was mostly quiet. Kai had finished his training session not long ago. Cole had been asleep for at least an hour. Master Wu and Misako were also in bed. There had been no sign of Lloyd or Nya. It was the perfect time to do some detective work. Good thing he worked out the bugs in his night vision before Big Jay disappeared. Being sneaky was a lot easier when he didn’t need to turn the lights on.

Baby Jay was curled up in bed with Mr. Cuddlywomp. It was special to every version of the Blue Ninja apparently. Zane couldn’t help but take a picture – it was too cute not too. A quick sweep of the room found no trace of the nunchaku. If Baby Jay had them before, he didn’t have them now. It was possible that he lost them somewhere, or simply never picked them up. It didn’t prove anything, but it was a start. He could send Falcon to check out the surrounding area tonight. By morning he would know for sure.

He picked up Baby Jay’s t-shirt and shorts before leaving. What kind of hosts would they be if they made their guest walk around in soiled clothes?

The hallway wasn’t as quiet coming out of the room as it was going in. Zane slid the door closed and walked directly into Nya. Half a decade of ninja training and Nya’s impressive strength were the only thing that kept both of them standing.

“Oh, Zane! What a surprise! Uh, I was just, uh, going for a midnight snack…” Nya tried to act cool, but there was no fooling a nindroid. Aside from obviously having no idea what to say, her room was between Jay’s and the kitchen. There was no reason to come this way. Plus, it was almost two in the morning. Cole would have devoured anything they had that was snack worthy by now.

“I see. So, you weren’t about to sneak into Baby Jay’s room for something?”

“Of course not! I just wanted to, uh, make sure he was comfortable, and, yeah.” The display was a little disappointing. Nya was a much better liar than this. She was understandably upset by this afternoon’s events, but maybe things were worse than anyone thought. “What are you doing here? I thought you and Pixal would be busy building models and crunching numbers.

“I was gathering information. This dilemma we find ourselves in is more complicated than I originally thought.”

Nya quirked an eyebrow when it was clear that Zane didn’t plan on explaining further. He wanted to say more but also wanted to be sure this path was the correct one. Nya was already hurting – it would be cruel to get her hopes only to crush them if this proved to be a dead end.

“If you would excuse me, I must get back to the Bounty. It seems Pixal and I have more simulations to run.”

“Wait! Zane! Um, do you think we could talk?” Nya initiating conversation wasn’t unusual. Doing so without the usual confidence was disconcerting.

“Of course, Nya. What do you wish to discuss?”

“Not here,” she rushed. Now Zane was concerned. It was highly unlikely that they would be interrupted – Kai slept like the dead and Cole snored so loud he wouldn’t hear anything anyway. The only one that might come by was Lloyd, but Zane hadn’t seen him for a while. Even then there shouldn’t be anything that she wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with the others. Unless…

“How about we talk on the bridge? It’s a bit, um, sensitive.”

The walk back to the ship had been silent. Nya was determined to keep her secret until they were aboard. If privacy was what she was waiting for, she wasn’t going to find it. Pixal had already signed off for the night, but now Lloyd was haunting the computer. He had a location circled on the map that Zane was familiar with.

“Lloyd? What brings you to the Bounty at this time?” Zane asked. The Green Ninja nearly jumped out of his pajamas.

“Zane! Nya! I thought you guys would be asleep by now!”

“I am a nindroid, I can operate for several days without rest,” Zane replied.

“Did you really think I could sleep when Jay just got zapped out of existence?” Nya shot back. It was nice to see her wear an emotion that wasn’t sadness. Anger probably wasn’t the healthiest option, but what else could be expected from someone related to the Master of Fire?

“I suppose that might have been too much to ask for,” Lloyd said sheepishly.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet Green Bean?” Nya asked. Zane was wondering about that too. Lloyd was something of a night owl, but he usually turned in before this.

“I, uh, um. I asked you first.”

Secrecy appears to be the word of the day.

“Smooth Lloyd. Real smooth,” Nya teased.

“You never answered my question,” he sniped back.

“You never asked one,” Zane interjected. That trick might have worked on Kai or Jay, but it was less effective against someone that kept a recording of every conversation they were involved in over the last 72 hours. Nya folded her arms in victory. He was tempted to tell her that she never really answered his earlier question either.

“…Fine. I was looking for the Spirit Coves. I have an idea of how we might get Jay back, but I’m not sure if it will work.”

Why would Lloyd be interested in the Spirit Coves? Other than being special to dragons, there was no other recorded information on them. The only reason Zane acknowledged their existence was because the ninjas’ dragons left and returned and as the Ultra Dragon. Surely Lloyd didn’t have knowledge of them that Master Wu and the monastery library didn’t. He wanted to press on it, but understood their leader was probably withholding information for the same reason he was. “Now, what are you guys doing here?”

“I am working on the mechanism by which Jay disappeared. Pixal and I have come up with some ideas, but there is much more work to be done before we can be certain we are on the right path.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I ran into Zane while I was wandering the halls but…”

Zane could tell Nya still wasn’t telling him everything. She was hiding the lie under feigned emotional distress this time. He had no right to call her on it though. Neither he nor Lloyd had been completely honest to this point either.

“It’s alright Nya. I know this is probably harder for you than anyone else. Maybe you should get out of the monastery for a few days. Take some time to clear your head.”

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe I should. There’s so many reminders of him here and with Baby Jay running around I don’t know if I can keep it together. I should go spend some time with my parents. Reconnecting with them might help take my mind off of things, y’know?”

Zane had to give them credit. The act would have fooled most people. The problem was it wouldn’t work on any of the ones they were about to try it on.

“I applaud the attempt, but I sincerely hope that is not how you plan to tell Kai and Cole you are going to leave the monastery.” Nya deflated and Lloyd started turning pink.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” she said. Zane just nodded his head. Nya and Lloyd let out heavy sighs. “Good thing we ran it by you before trying it on my brother.”

“Your acting skills are improving. It seems Jay’s lessons have been paying off.” Zane replied with a small smile. Now it was Nya’s turn to color.

“We hoped it would keep Kai from flipping out when we tell him we have to go for a while,” Lloyd said. That was understandable. Kai would most definitely be upset to find out the two people he cared the most for were taking a leave of absence.

“I’m afraid that is unavoidable. Lying to him about why will only make matters worse. It would be best if you simply told him the truth.”

“How can we though? He’d lose his shit if we walked up and said ‘oh by the way we’re ditching you guys for a little while, bye’.” Nya replied.

“I am sure Kai is capable of keeping his bowels under control. At any rate, it would be best to rip the metaphorical band-aid off as quickly as possible. Drawing this out will only create more issues when he learns the truth. And Kai will learn the truth.”

Zane let the thinly veiled threat end the conversation. He wasn’t going to stop them from enacting their plans. If his hunch was correct, the supercomputer on the Bounty wouldn’t be powerful enough to run the necessary calculations. The only processor capable of doing so would be at Borg Industries. Pixal could do a lot, but it would be much more efficient if he were there in person to help.

They were all in the same position. Dividing the team was the best way to move forward. That didn’t mean it was the right one. They were likely to face righteous fury in the morning. Zane couldn’t say they didn’t deserve it.

Lloyd knew the team was going to fall apart during the huddle on the cliff. Nya was a wreck and Kai wasn’t much better. Cole kept it together, but his façade was only slightly better than Kai’s. Zane was physically present and mentally absent. It was only a matter of time before someone split off. Smart money was on Nya. He could already tell that Baby Jay – really Kai? – was going to be too much for her to handle. Zane would be next. Lloyd could practically hear his fans whirling at top speed. He had ideas and would want to rendezvous with Pixal as soon as possible. Kai would get frustrated at some point and storm out. That would leave him and Cole. The Master of Earth was the one person he was confident would stick around. At least, he would as long as Baby Jay was there.

Thinking about it soured his mood. Everyone went their separate ways after releasing the hug. Kai went to train, Cole went to the kitchen, and Zane went to the Bounty. Nya stayed by the cliffside for a while longer. Lloyd didn’t particularly want to talk to any of them. He knew he should be trying to cheer everyone up, but the enthusiasm wasn’t there. Instead, he went to the common room. What better way to take his mind off things than with some bad TV?

He turned to the shopping channel. The cheesy sales pitches were always good for a laugh. It was Jay’s preferred way of dealing with nightmares. It also became one of their first bonding activities. Lloyd was having night terror and had been searching for Kai the first time they did it. He found Jay sprawled out on the couch mocking someone trying to sell an electric grill instead. He was going to let it be, but Jay corralled him before he could escape. It was the first time the incident with the Fang Blades that they really spent any time alone together. Neither of them talked about why they were awake at 03:00. Having some company and decent comedy was good enough.

Right now, a company was trying to sell a calligraphy set. It would have gone better if they had picked someone that actually knew how to use it. Jay would have had a field day with this one. The pens and brushes were definitely cheap. Master Wu had higher quality ink in the storeroom. The monks in Cloud Kingdom would not have been pleased…

Lloyd froze when the thought crossed his mind. It was perfect. If he wanted answers about what, all he had to do was ask the Writers of Destiny. They recorded everything. Even if they didn’t know where he was or how he got there, they could point him in the right direction. The only problem would be getting there. Travelling to the top of the Wailing Alps would difficult, and he didn’t actually know how to do Airjitzu. The Power Dragon would have done the trick, but his abilities were still locked. Waiting for them to come back didn’t feel like an option.

Master Wu poked his head in while Lloyd was going over his options. Snapping at his uncle had been another mistake. The old man was only trying to help. Lloyd could apologize later though. Jay and Nya were always telling him not to let an idea sit for too long or it might be lost. He needed to work it out before that happened. Jay’s safety could be riding on it.

Nya slipped in shortly after Master Wu left. She looked nervous. Lloyd couldn’t brush her off like this.

“Hey, Lloyd. Can we talk? I, uh, I have something I need to do,” she said. None of Nya’s usual confidence was there. Lloyd was pretty sure it wasn’t all because of Jay’s disappearance. Something else was eating at her.

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

“I-I need to leave. For a little bit. There’s something I need to do and…” Lloyd silenced her with a finger to the lips. She didn't need to say where this was going.

“I know. Truth is, I think I need to go too.”

“You’ve got an idea too, huh?” Nya, even when emotionally compromised, was still sharp.

“Rescuing Jay is the only thing anyone is thinking about right now. Do what you have to do. I’ll have your back.” Nya sniffled once before enveloping him in a hug. Lloyd hugged back, knowing they might not get many more opportunities to do so for a while. This split was going to be hard, but necessary. Now they just had to figure out how to announce it without someone breaking something.

Breakfast the next morning went poorly. Watching Zane pay the price for his decision was tough. There wasn’t anything he could do about it though. Well, there was one thing, but that ship had sailed. Literally.

He knew what he had done was bad. His brothers deserved better, and Lloyd was ashamed to admit he hadn’t truly been thinking about them at the time. Getting Jay back was the only important thing. The others could take care of themselves for a few days. They had done so before, they could do it again.

It was a good thing they tried to fool Zane last night. The nindroid was, as always, right. Their act never would have fooled Cole, and Kai’s outburst would have been much worse if he caught them in a lie. Maybe he could have been a little softer with the truth. Not that it wouldn’t have mattered. Kai still wouldn’t agree, and Cole likely wouldn’t have either. This was always going to be the result no matter what they did.

Lloyd had gone about this the wrong way, but he stood by the decision. It was hard to leave. It was hard to watch Zane take the criticism for it. This was his job though. Making tough calls was part of being the leader. Hopefully everyone would understand when the dust settled.

Chapter Text

There was a crowd around Lloyd’s locker when Cole got to school Wednesday morning. Picking on the Son of Garmadon was a morning ritual for Chen and the cheer squad, but today they had an audience. Kai was trying to fend them off with a math book and some choice words while Lloyd attempted to disappear into his hoodie.

Cole’s arrival scared off most of the onlookers. Chen and company lingered a little longer, but one raised eyebrow sent them on their way. That wouldn’t have worked had word about Monday’s dodgeball game not made its way around the building. Nobody wanted to get on his bad side right now.

The fact that there was a gathering raised red flags. People didn’t normally stop to pick on Lloyd; most of the snickers and jeers were made in passing. Things couldn’t be good if they were taking time out of their day to mock him. Cole was about to ask what was going on when a glint of something sparkly caught his eye.

“Dude, what’s with the pants?”

“Some asshole stole his jeans this morning. Took ‘em right off the clothesline!” Kai said, waving a pre-calculus book that definitely didn’t belong to him.

“At least they left some cash so I could get another pair…” Lloyd mumbled through his jacket.

Now Cole was really confused. Stealing Lloyd’s pants sounded like something one of the regular bullies might come up with, but why would they leave money? And didn’t he live on the tenth floor? How did someone even get up there?

He voiced the last question, and Kai threw his hands up. “That’s what I said! Who the hell goes to that kind of trouble? It would have been easier to buy their own damn pants instead of paying Lloyd for his.”

“Don’t you have a different pair you could have worn?” Cole asked.

Lloyd just shrugged. “That was the only clean pair. I haven’t gotten around to washing to others yet, which is why I’m wearing these…”

The pants in question were aggressively white. Sleek, shiny, and bright, Cole thought he would go blind if he looked at them for too long. They were also tight. Very tight. The fabric stretched around every curve of his legs. Cole wasn’t sure how Lloyd got them on, or if he could bend his knees without ripping them.

“Why did you buy those? They look like something out of one of my dad’s old disco tapes,” Cole said.

“I didn’t. They’re my mom’s. It was the only thing we had left that wasn’t a skirt or a swimsuit,” Lloyd said as continued to show off his Jay impression.

“Bro, I think you should’ve gone with the trunks. Those pants are sick and not in a good way,” Kai replied. Cole had to agree. Anything had to be better than what he was wearing now.

“Yeahhh, there’s a reason I didn’t do that.”

“Bro! Actual bro! Cole! How’s it goin’!” Nya yelled from down the hall. Lloyd turtled harder while Kai and Nya did their brother-sister hug-handshake thing. Cole stashed his backpack while Kai filled her in on Lloyd’s wardrobe situation. Even through his headphones he could hear Nya screeching when she saw the crime against fashion.

The first period warning bell cut off the conversation. Lloyd waddled to Homeroom with Nya and Kai. Cole had to go in the opposite direction. He didn’t have a class with any of the others until fourth period Gym. The relative solitude gave him plenty of time to think.

Jay was still missing. It wasn’t the first time they lost him – someone that quiet wasn’t always easy to keep track of – but he always found his way back before long. It was the only reason Cole wasn’t actively panicking yet.

He remembered when they got separated at the amusement park last year. The group had been in line for a rollercoaster when someone cut in between Kai and Jay. Everybody else rode together, but Jay had to take the next car. None of them noticed until after the ride. They watched three sets of cars come and go before realizing he never got on.

One hour of searching and one Nya crash out later, Jay was still missing. She was ready to tear the park apart when Jay literally fell from the sky. He had climbed a light pole and dropped behind Lloyd when they passed under it. The entrance scared the hell out of Kai. Nya gave him an earful for disappearing and a playful punch for jumpscaring her brother. Jay insisted he climbed the pole to get a better view. Cole was pretty sure it was just to get out of the crowd.

Then there was the time they lost him in the park. Nya had complained that it was too hot, and Jay offered to get her an ice cream cone. It was a thinly veiled attempt to impress his crush, but nobody besides Cole seemed to recognize that.

The offer for one cone turned into an order for five, and Jay slunk off to fulfill the request. They waited for half an hour before realizing something was wrong. Cole and Zane went to look for him while Nya and Kai stood guard over Lloyd. The pair checked every ice cream stand in the park and on the street outside. Eventually they found him half a block away, struggling with five gallons of frozen dairy product.

Apparently he’d run into Chen at one of the stalls and had to flee the park to get away from him. Rather than return empty-handed, Jay walked three blocks to a grocery store and bought what he’d been sent for. Kai’s request only came by the gallon, so that’s what Jay got. Then he bought gallons of everyone else’s orders so they didn’t feel left out.

Those weren’t the only times either. Cole lost him in the record store once. Kai lost him at a track meet. Lloyd lost him in a comic store. Zane lost him in the library…

They weren’t very good at keeping an eye on their skittish friend. Jay being small didn’t help, but they needed to be better about looking out for him. Not just physically, but emotionally too. His anxiety was a problem that tended to get ignored. It wasn’t that they didn’t care; they just didn’t understand. Kai and Nya were such extreme extroverts that they forgot about it most of the time. Zane was bad at processing human emotion, and Jay presented such a complex case that the robot wasn’t sure how to handle it. Lloyd did his best but had his own problems to worry about.

Cole was the only one that got him. Jay was a people pleaser, he just had a hard time communicating. The desire to make everyone happy was in sharp contrast to Cole not giving a damn what they thought. It made their friendship a little weird, but he was glad Jay never gave up on it.

Cole had never had many friends. There weren’t many sixth graders that could hold their own in the annual hot dog eating contest, and that made him an easy target for mockery. Most of the people that hung around only did so because he’d been bigger than everyone else. It was easy to stop caring about others when they only liked you because they thought you were intimidating. Jay was the first person to actually care about him. Cole had brushed him off at first, but Jay kept coming back. Eventually Cole softened enough to see Jay was just as alone as he was. They’d been friends ever since.

Each was the only friend the other had until they met Zane as freshmen. The Ice Ninja was more outgoing but just as alone as they were. Finding out he was a robot was a shock, and at the same time they couldn’t believe it took so long to figure it out. They found Kai the next year. He tried to be cool but was just as unpopular as they were. It took a while to get over his attitude, but once they reached an understanding he slid seamlessly into place. Nya was a package deal with his inclusion. She was the only one that had real friends outside the group, but being with her brother was apparently more important than any kind of social status.

They were left alone at first. As the outsiders, no one cared to give them the time of day. That changed when Lloyd entered to fold. The poor kid had been relentlessly tormented every day of his school career. Kai had enough of it one day and started a fight he couldn’t finish. Cole and Nya had to step in for back up. Zane recorded the whole thing and sent the video to the principal, school board, and NGTV News. Chen had been the instigator of the whole thing. The embarrassment of the whole city watching Nya dangle him over the stairwell was why he hated them so much.

There was no choice but to invite Lloyd into the group after that. Not only because the little guy proved to be nothing like his reputation, but also to protect him from retribution. It didn’t do the group’s reputation any favors, but none of them really cared. Besides, the positive cred they got from putting Chen in his place pretty much zeroed out the negative attention from being associated with Kid Garmadon.

The group became tightly knit after that. The chaos that was the Smith siblings mixed well with Cole’s cool head and Zane’s curiosity. Lloyd was sassy in a way nobody else appreciated. Jay was just happy to be included. Over time the quintet became the only people whose opinion Cole gave a shit about.

Fourth period came and Lloyd was still wrestling with whatever secret he was keeping. Cole didn’t comment on it. He understood the need to work things out yourself before asking for help. Lloyd would spill when he was ready.

They were playing baseball today. Much like dodgeball, every baseball day followed the same script. They would play the game by the rules for a few innings. Lloyd would get hit by a pitch. Cole would charge the mound to protect his honor. The pitcher would go to the nurse’s office, and Cole would go to detention after school. It was so predictable you could set a watch to it. The only good thing was that it gave Lloyd an excuse to get out of those awful pants.

Lloyd was always the last batter in the order. He was by far the best hitter on either team, but everyone hated him so much that they refused to let him go any sooner. Seeing how the kid’s head was still on another island, Cole figured his mound visit would come earlier than usual today.

They got to the bottom of the order at the beginning of the third inning. Lloyd was first up to bat. The pitcher was licking his lips at the prospect of plinking him with a fastball. Cole was considering a pre-emptive strike, but something in his friend’s posture stopped him. For the first time in two days, the Green Ninja looked like himself.

The pitcher did try to hit him with the first ball, but Lloyd got out of the way at the last second. The second pitch was like the first, aimed low and inside. Lloyd dodged again, then leveled the most unimpressed glare at the pitcher that he could. Pitch three wasn’t even close to the strike zone. It wasn’t close to Lloyd either. The teacher, who had been playing umpire, called time and yelled at the guy on the mound to throw a real pitch or get sent to the principal’s office.

Lloyd’s safety wasn’t the reason. The gym teacher could care less about someone – let alone Lloyd Garmadon – getting plunked by a pitch. He only cared about the integrity of the game. The old man had been a professional baseball player once and took it personally when people were screwing around on the diamond.

Not wanting to get booted and not willing to gift Lloyd first base, the next pitch went into the strike zone. The kid had a nice fastball, but he should have conceded the walk. Lloyd’s bat made contact and sent the ball deep into left field. It probably would have been a long single, but the outfield had moved in because no one expected a hit. The left fielder had to run a long way to chase it down. Lloyd was already rounding second by the time he made it to the ball. The other kids booed as Lloyd made his way to third. He might have made it home if the third base man didn’t try to trip him. Having to stop to avoid the outstretched leg gave the outfielder enough time to get the ball back to the dirt.

The next batter struck out without swinging. His replacement took a couple of swings but went down looking too. Cole knew it was because they didn’t want to be the reason Lloyd scored. Good thing he was the next man up.

Since entering middle school, Cole could count on one hand the number of times he recorded a hit. He could count on the other the number of times someone threw him a decent pitch. Most everyone avoided throwing him anything that was hittable. They all knew that if he made contact, they would never see that ball again. It was kind of funny because Cole was a terrible hitter. He went yard twice in one game in eighth grade and that was what his reputation was built on. Outside of that he struck out every time.

The whole class knew the pitcher was going to trying to walk him. He could give Cole first and keep Lloyd at third because there was only one baserunner. Then the next guy up would take his three strikes and the inning would be over. Under normal circumstances they would have just issued an intentional walk and not even bothered with the charade. The teacher would allow it as long as Cole accepted it, which he normally did. Not today though. This was the first time in two years Lloyd had seen third base. Cole was going to make sure his friend got his glory.

The first two pitches were balls, both low and away. Cole saw the strategy and swung on the third. He missed, but he hadn’t expected to make contact. It was just to put a strike on the board and let the pitcher know Cole had figured him out. The next pitch came in high and away. He let it go. The fifth pitch went to the same spot, and he managed to get enough to send it foul.

That foul ball was important because it forced a house rule into play. If there was a full count, the next pitch had to be in the strike zone. If someone threw a ball, the teacher made them pitch again. A second violation meant all the baserunners advanced instead of just the batter taking first. The rule was put in place to keep the game moving, and Cole was about to take advantage of it.

He could tell that the pitcher was nervous. Being the one that allowed Lloyd Garmadon to score in a baseball game would follow him for the rest of the year. Anxiety got the best of him. The kid never got a good grip on the ball and lost control as soon as it left his hand. Whatever he was trying to throw turned into a meatball low in the middle of the zone. It was so slow that Cole almost swung too early. Fortunately for Lloyd, he didn’t. A very solid crack rang across the yard. Nobody saw the ball leave, but everyone knew it was gone. The broken bat was proof.

Lloyd made it home without any more interference. Cole rounded third and squirrel tapped the kid playing it on the way by.

“Garmadon! Brookstone! I want you two in my office after school!” The teacher yelled. Cole sighed. Getting detention was nothing new. He just wished he threw a better punch.

Nya had hit a wall. The team decided to skip training today on account of Jay and Master Wu both being missing. Instead, they were going to do some research on Ninja Jay. At least, they were supposed to. Cole and Lloyd were stuck in detention. Kai said something about a video store and dragged Zane downtown with him after track practice. That left her alone to do the actual work. As usual.

That wasn’t fair. Lloyd always came through when she asked for his help. Jay did too. Zane tried, but if his mother called there wasn’t much he could do. Cole was hit or miss. Kai usually found a way to wiggle out of work, but she knew he would be there if it was important. That he chose to skip out – and take the most useful member of the team with him – was disappointing.

She spent most of the afternoon in the library combing the internet. The only conclusion she could come to was that Ninja Jay didn’t exist. The guy had no digital footprint. There was no social media, no mentions in the news, nothing. NGTV didn’t even have a birthday on record, and they had one for literally everyone in the city. He was a ghost.

Or a ninja…

That was ridiculous. Nya was a ninja. This poser might have the robes, but that didn’t mean he was anything special.

She went to the school records when trolling the web failed. Ninjago High wasn’t the only school in the city, but she could access the student records for anyone in the district from the front office computers. They weren’t allowed to use those computers, but what the secretaries didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

Things would have been easier if she knew when he graduated. It was hard to tell how old he was from the shaky pictures taken last night, so she had to do some guess work. He couldn’t be that much older than them, so she ruled out anyone that had been out for more than fifteen years. She knew his name was Jay from the poster Cole brought back. It could be a stage name, but it was the best lead Nya had. Filtering by gender took some more names off the list.

She put in the search parameters and waited for the computer to print out a list of possibilities. This would have been a lot easier if the walking computer was here instead of helping her dumbass brother with whatever he was doing.

In the end there were 67 names on the list. Taking the ones that didn’t fit the physical description left 31 possibilities. Twelve more could be removed because they posted recordings of themselves somewhere else at the same time Ninja Jay had been gaming. Another four were taken off due to being victims of Garmadon attacks over the years. Another one got the axe for being a conspiracy theorist that was asking the same question Nya was.

Narrowing it to fourteen people sounded like a good day’s work. They could each take two or three tomorrow and try to figure out if one of them could be the man of mystery. That was assuming she could wrangle all of the boys. It was more likely she’d have to do the bulk of the work herself.

She took the transport tube to the warehouse before going home. Part of it was to drop off the list. Most of it was to avoid suspicion. Everyone had already left school, and it would raise questions if someone saw her leaving at this hour.

The building was empty when she got there. It was weird not seeing Lloyd camped out by the bay doors. Maybe Cole talked some sense into him. That gave her a good laugh. The day Cole started an emotional conversation with someone would be the day Garmadon’s volcano froze over.

She left the list on the end table by the computer. There was a new stack of papers there. Most of them were printouts from Zane. Based on the timestamp they were from this afternoon.

Huh, guess those two really did do something.

Whatever they uncovered would have to wait until tomorrow. Zane might have been the printer, but it was obviously Kai’s work - she had no idea what any of it was supposed to mean.

It was already dark when she peeled out on her bike. With any luck Kai had come up with a good excuse for why he came home without her. Although, that would only be a problem if their parents were home. It was more likely they were both still at the shop.

Nya was almost out of the industrial park when she saw him. There, just standing on the sidewalk, was Ninja Jay. He was in street clothes instead of the robes. That wasn’t going to fool Nya though. She had his face memorized from all the time spent staring at it during the research binge.

She wanted to confront him and see what he knew about their missing teammate. It couldn’t be a coincidence that they looked alike some much alike. That one showed up around the same time the other disappeared sealed the deal. This guy was involved somehow, and Nya was going to get answers.

She was thinking of questions when a flash of white sailed overhead. Something bright and shiny was moving over the rooftops.

Must be Lloyd. He wasn’t in the warehouse when I left though. I wonder what he’s been up to.

She lost track of Ninja Jay for less than a second, but that was enough time for him to disappear. It would have been impressive if it weren’t annoying. She’d spent all day trying to find out anything about this guy. Then, when she randomly runs into him in the street, Lloyd distracts her and the mystery man vanishes. What kind of shitty luck was that?

Nya fumed over it as she wove through traffic. The street hadn’t really been that busy. There were people, sure, but it wasn’t crowded. He shouldn’t have been able to poof out of existence like that in the time it took her to look up.

Maybe she just imagined it. Ninja Jay had been on her mind all day. It was possible that she was just seeing what she wanted to see. It wasn’t unheard of for people under a lot of stress to start hallucinating. But that was ridiculous. This wasn’t enough to keep her up at night. Yeah, it was weird. Yes, she wanted Jay back. None of that was driving her crazy yet. It was frustrating, not anxiety inducing.

No, she definitely saw him. It wasn’t a mistake, or some trick of the light. He had been there.

What was he doing down there? That part of town was dangerous, especially at night. Maybe he lived in the area. Not many people called this part of town home, but if he was broke then it might be all he could afford. That would make sense considering it looked like the guy just spawned in yesterday. She’d have to make a note to keep an eye out. They weren’t that far from the warehouse – a few blocks southwest and they were basically at the front door.

Speaking of front doors, she’d made it to her own. Most of the lights were off, so her parents must still be out. Kai’s light was still on though. He’d been gracious enough to leave the ones in the hall and kitchen on for her too. There was probably a plate of something waiting on the table. As much as she complained about his antics, she wasn’t sure what she would do without him.

She parked her bike around the side of the house and entered through the front. Going through the garage would have been easier, but this was a system they’d developed over the years to let each other know who was coming in if they didn’t get home at the same time. Anyone coming through the front door was a sibling or a burglar. Anyone coming through the garage was a parent.

Kai did, as expected, leave food. It was something from Zane’s mom’s noodle shop. Nya grabbed the to-go box and headed to her room. The light under Kai’s door was out when she passed. He must have been waiting for her to get home before going to sleep.

It wasn’t that late, but Nya decided to turn in for the night too. It had been a long day. Tomorrow was probably going to be longer. She scarfed down the ramen with a speed that could rival Cole before getting ready for bed. Thoughts of Ninja Jay plagued her the entire time. Nya wasn’t sure why this guy was some important to her. There was something about him that she needed to know. The question was what.

That answer would have to wait. Nya flopped into bed after her nightly routine and drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, a new opportunity, and hopefully an explanation for whatever the hell Kai and Zane had been doing this afternoon.

Chapter Text

Kai was angry. That wasn’t unusual – he had the temperament of a wet alley cat most days anyway. The others had gotten used to the short fuse over the years and he liked to think he had better handle on it now. Days like today tested that belief.

The ninja had spent the better part of the last ten years protecting Ninjago. They fought evil sorcerers, armies of snakes, and literal demons. They spent years helping clean up the city. Kai had personally put his blood, sweat, and tears into making sure the realm was safe for everyone. Finding out that all of that work had gone down the toilet in the matter of a few weeks was a little annoying.

He wasn’t upset that the city backslid to where it was before he and his brothers put all that work into cleaning it up. That was inevitable considering the police department was only a step above competent. What pissed him off was that nobody bothered to tell them about it. The city was trying to respect their privacy was appreciated, but dammit keeping people safe was their job. Interrupting Jay’s hot tub time would have been better than the shitshow they were going to have to deal with now.

Cole putting the kibosh on pounding the pavement that night didn’t help. Kai knew they couldn’t charge into this. Not when they didn’t have a good idea of what they were getting into and not with a teenager in tow. That didn’t mean he had to like it. More time was spent stewing than sleeping that night. The only reason the training equipment went unused was because Cole threatened to break it if Kai kept him awake.

Zane was the first one awake the next morning. Kai never saw him but the evidence was left on the table in form of oatmeal and a note.

Good morning all,

I apologize for not being there to speak with you, but my research has been more demanding than I originally anticipated. I took the liberty of preparing breakfast and lunch for today. If all goes well, I will return in time to prepare dinner as well. Pixal informed me that you plan on taking Baby Jay with you to interrogate the Sons of Garmadon. I wish you the best of luck in your efforts. As always, I am available by communicator should you require my assistance.

Regards,
Zane

P.S – I finished laundering Baby Jay’s clothes. They will be at Borg Tower awaiting pick up.

P.S.S. – Should you find yourself in the area around the Explorer’s Club today, please ask the caretaker about the origins of the crystal that was stolen last night. I have some ideas regarding why it was taken, but I require confirmation before proceeding with that line of investigation.

How Zane snuck in, made breakfast, and got out without anyone noticing was a mystery. Kai wasn’t awake enough yet to try and solve it. The nindroid left food, that was good enough for now.

Kai was stirring the stewed oats when Cole wandered in. They sat in silence while he processed Zane’s message.

The absence of their teammates weighed on his mind. Jay being gone wasn’t the Blue Ninja’s fault, probably. The others didn’t have that excuse. Understanding their reasoning wasn’t the same as agreeing, and Kai did not agree with any of it. This was a problem they should be working on together. If Zane needed something from Borg Industries, they should all be there. If Lloyd needed to go to fuck knows where for something, they should all be gearing up for an adventure. Splitting up only ever caused more problems.

“You have a chance to go through the mail yet?” Cole asked. He dumped yesterday’s delivery on the table between them. Kai wondered if they should open Lloyd’s stuff. Mail concerning the entire team usually got addressed to him rather than the group.

Not like we’re much of a team right now though…

“Just the one. Kinda forgot about the others when we started our little history lesson.” He hadn’t even finished it. Baby Jay distracted him halfway through. It could wait until later though. Messages from Skylor weren’t rare, and they’d seen each other last night. She would have said something at dinner if it was urgent.

Cole hummed before tearing open his envelope. Kai followed suit with the other. The oatmeal was getting cold, but that was fine – it wasn’t very appealing when he was mad anyway.

The one addressed to him and Nya was from their parents. There wasn’t anything special about it other than being from family. It was the standard ‘We love you’ and ‘hope all is well’ and ‘make sure you’re eating your vegetables’ kind of thing. Kai couldn’t help but smile. Things had gotten off to a rocky start after rescuing them from Krux and Acronix. Kai knew being absent wasn’t their fault. Still, it took time to accept the fact. He’d spent most of his life thinking they abandoned him and Nya. Those feelings didn’t go away with one ‘I’m Sorry’. They were working on it though. Letters like this were cheesy but appreciated. He would have to make a note to write back soon.

The second letter was a lot more interesting. There was a karate tournament being held in Ignacia, and the organizers wanted him to be a special guest judge. It was cool that they thought of him. Normally people wanted the Green Ninja to show up at their events. The fact someone wanted the Master of Fire was kind of awesome.

Turing them down was going to suck. The event wasn’t until next weekend, but there was no telling how long it would take to get Baby Jay back home. Leaving the kid with Cole wasn’t an option, and he doubted either of them would want to make the trip out there.

Cole groaned through his oatmeal and shook Kai back to reality. The big guy was slumped over, head on the table and one fist softly pounding the wood. There was only one thing that ever warranted that response.

“Got another letter from your dad?”

“Ugh. Another request to help out in one of his shows. I love the guy but come on – I’m a ninja, not a dancer.”

“Pretty sure you’re both dude.” Cole’s dance prowess was well known throughout Ninjago. Everybody knew about it after he pulled off the Triple Tiger Sashay in the talent show ten years ago. The fact he incorporated it into his fighting style and held the top three scores on the Dancy Pants machine in the arcade downtown only solidified it.

“You know what I mean. He wants me to go with him to a party for some princess on Saturday. He even sent a ticket.” Cole held up the offending piece of paper like it was a toxic. Lou did this whenever he wanted to spend time with his son. Cole should have expected it. Kai knew he’d turned down the last three requests. This was his dad pulling out the nuclear option.

There was no way Cole was getting out of it. They both knew the Black Ninja wasn’t going to say no now that the price of admission had been paid. He was going to have to leave for a while, just like everyone else.

“It can’t be that bad. I mean hell, if it’s for a princess then they’re probably gonna have a crazy ass cake there,” Kai said, trying to keep the disappointment from leaking into his voice. Cole saw through the act, just like he had been seeing through Kai’s faces for weeks. He expected to to get called on it, but Cole was letting it slide for some reason.

“I can’t just leave you guys here though. What if something happens while I’m gone?” Cole argued.

“Come on Cole, you don’t think I can handle whatever comes up those steps?”

“You get your fire back yet?” Kai clicked his fingers together but couldn’t even produce a wisp of smoke. His inner fire still wasn’t responding. “My strength hasn’t come back yet either. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to split up any more than we already have.”

“Why don’t we go with you?” Baby Jay asked. Cole’s head snapped up. Kai nearly fell out of his seat.

When the hell did he get here?

Baby Jay just appeared at the table like a genie summoned from a lamp. Neither of them even heard him enter.

“Uhh, I think he only had two tickets. I can ask but I doubt he can get more,” Cole replied.

“You guys are famous, right? I bet they would let you in without them if you just showed up,” Baby Jay countered. Cole looked skeptical, but Kai knew it would work. They could get on any guest list on the island if they showed up in their gi and name-dropped Lloyd. Well, most any guest list.

“I mean, yeah, that might work. But it’s late, and they probably already filled up the venue, and you know how mad the fire marshal gets…”

“You’re just trying to get out of dancing,” Kai interrupted. Baby Jay’s eyebrows rose. Cole started turning pink.

“A-Am not! It’s just, come on. Do you guys really want to go to a party with a bunch of snooty rich people?” Cole asked.

“If it means watching you shake your ass then yes. Yes I do.” Cole groaned and put his head down again. Kai put on a victory smile. Baby Jay looked intrigued at the prospect of Cole getting down.

“I am so going to regret this.”

“So why do they call you the Lava Bros?”

Cole sighed. Kai snorted. The Red Ninja had casually dropped the name on the way over. Cole was sure it was on purpose. Baby Jay's curiosity rivaled Big Jay's. Asking what should have been an innocent question about a weird name was inevitable. It wasn't a surprise when the kid asked about it, but that didn’t mean Cole wanted to answer.

“We made Zane read a bunch of the fan mail one time. Some of the, uh, spicier ones decided…” There was no good way to say this. Kai came to his ‘rescue’ and somehow made it worse.

“That if Cole and I were fucking that would be our ship name.”

“Oh,” Baby Jay squeaked.

Cole could feel his cheeks warming. The kid was probably starting to color too if the pitch he responded at was anything to go by. Kai just kept munching on his chips.

“You couldn’t have handled that a little more delicately?” Cole asked. He could hear Kai shrug.

“Come on, he’s like fifteen. He’s probably heard and read worse.” Baby Jay didn’t reply, but he was definitely sinking into the gi. Cole wanted to do the same.

It was really Big Jay’s fault. He’d taken it upon himself to filter out the naughtier stuff after Lloyd read one about himself and Kai. The poor kid invented a new shade of pink halfway through. Kai had to be talked out of paying the sender a visit. Jay volunteered to come up with a system to sort those kinds of letters out before anyone else got a steamy surprise.

The whole thing ended up being a ruse. Jay sorted the stories alright, but he didn't dispose of them. Instead, The letters were scanned and uploaded onto a thumb drive. Then he gave it to Zane and told him it was an update or something. The unsuspecting nindroid downloaded half a terabyte of the smuttiest writing their fans had to offer. He spent the next two weeks talking like an erotica novel while Nya and Pixal worked overtime trying to fix him. They were lucky Master Wu and Misako were out of town at the time.

“But why Lava?” Baby Jay asked. His curiosity appeared to beat out the secondhand embarrassment.

“Earth plus Fire makes Lava. Pretty clever, huh?” Kai answered.

“And you guys just, adopted it?”

“Uhh, yeah? Lava Bros is a badass name. Our lovely and creative fans came up with team names for all of our pairings. Er, well, most of them. We don’t have any for pairs with Lloyd or Nya. Anyway, we used to patrol in doubles, and the names were an easy way to tell what team went where. And it embarrasses Cole.”

Cole actually loved the nicknames – they were objectively awesome. His problem was with Jay and Kai. They leaned into it way too much. It would have been one thing if they only used them for team names, but those two used the monikers for everything. Cole wanted to put a stop to it, but he didn’t have the votes – Zane didn’t see a problem and Nya thought it was funny. Lloyd stayed out of it because he was jealous. Master Wu would have been the nuclear option, but that would involve explaining where the names came from. No one wanted to have that conversation.

“Did they only do team names for pairs?” Baby Jay asked. Cole really wanted to get off this topic. Kai wasn’t about to let that happen though. He was going to milk this for all it was worth.

“The only triplet is me, Lloyd, and Nya. We got the RGB Siblings. Don’t know how I ended up as a single parent in that one but whatever,” Kai said.

“First off, you are not the responsible one in that group. Second, you know damn well why people think you’re a single dad,” Cole sniped back.

“Well, someone has to keep this family together, Cole.”

Baby Jay barked out a real laugh at that. It sounded so much like Big Jay that Cole almost turned around to make sure they didn’t trade places again. It was nice that the kid was finally getting comfortable around them. Now Cole just had to make sure the two jokers didn’t gang up on him.

“Yeah, Cole’s a lot more like a single dad than you are Kai.”

Cole did turn around at that. Baby Jay was half hidden in the robes already, but Cole could see the smile in his eyes.

“Oh ho ho, Baby Jay from the top rope!” Kai called.

“First Master not you too.”

The two chaos gremlins high fived while Cole went back to work. There was a reason they were sitting on a rooftop right now. He intended to make sure that the job got done.

The streets of Ninjago City were never truly peaceful. Thieves, conmen, and garden variety assholes were always lurking in the alleyways. The ninja had made it part of their mission to help clean things up after Misako had almost been mugged on the way to Dareth’s Dojo one day. The poor idiot didn’t know who he was dealing with, but the fact someone would try it in broad daylight was enough to convince them something needed to be done. That was the excuse they gave Master Wu. Really it was because they were bored as shit.

They weren’t officially part of the police force, but the cops appreciated every time they dropped a bundle of crooks off at the precinct door. Helping the civilians was something for the ninja to do while Lloyd was away. After the battle with Chen and his cultists, the Green Ninja spent a lot of time travelling to different villages attending ceremonies and kissing babies. He didn’t need his four protectors for that. Nya spent most of her time in the Samurai X Cave. When Wu eventually gave up on the school, there wasn’t much to do besides train.

Originally they thought patrolling would put a dent into everyday street crime. Having four Elemental Masters running around town ended up leaving more of a crater. They would have worked themselves out of a job the way things were going. Everyone agreed to scale back to two patrolling ninja instead of four. The switch kept crime down and prevented them from having to deal with whatever exotic training regime Wu came up with.

It didn’t take long before they started focusing on different things. Zane and Jay worked on a lot of cold cases while Cole and Kai were the street team. Car chases, stopping muggings, and helping old ladies cross the street were their specialty. Other combinations did other things, but those were the two most common pairings.

That system stayed in place until Master Wu decided to open the tea shop. Having to travel to Steeped Wisdom and back throttled their street time. Ronin took over the business after they dealt with Morro and the Preeminent, but they didn’t return to volunteering as much as before. Kai stayed attached to Lloyd at the hip for months. Cole spent most of his time learning how to operate without a body. Nya was busy with her training. Jay and Zane tried to pick up the slack, but it was too much ground for two ninja to cover.

The team had to stop completely after Wu disappeared because the team was spread too thin. After they returned from the First Realm and defeated Garmadon again, everyone agreed it was time to rebuild their home. Nobody had gone into the city unless it was by request – or to get noodles – in the six months since.

It had been almost three and half years since he and Kai ran a regular patrol. A lot had changed in the city since then, but criminals didn’t break their old patterns. Pixal’s incident map confirmed that. Cole had her dig through police reports chart all sightings of the Sons of Garmadon over the last two months. The bulk of them were downtown and on the east side of the city. Cole and Kai had busted enough crime rings over the years to know the center of the violence was a distraction. If these guys were operating the same way all the other ones did, then a hotspot downtown meant the leaders were working out of the docks.

“You’re just mad that you got served by a teenager.”

“Pretty sure you got roasted in there too, Hair Gel. Now shut up, I think I see one.”

Sure enough, a man in a dark suit with a hat pulled low wandered over to the edge of the pier. He didn’t look like a biker, but Cole was sure he was up to no good. Nobody wore a suit that expensive in a place like this.

“You two stay here, I’m gonna see if I can closer,” Cole ordered. Both Baby Jay and Kai gave sharp salutes.

“Yes dad.”

He suppressed the urge to sigh. This was going to be a long day if he had to deal with two Kais instead of one.

He tossed his binoculars in Kai’s direction before hopping off the roof. Landing silently, Cole ghosted behind crates until he was within earshot of the target. A second suit joined shortly after. The newcomer handed a letter to the first guy, then they started to split up without a word. He was debating which one to follow when someone started screaming into the comm. The surprise made him flinch and knock over a box. The resulting crash startled the pair, and they took off running.

Cole looked back at where his partners were supposed to be in time to see Kai jumping onto a rooftop and moving east.

“Kai! Where are you going? Where’s Baby Jay?” he tried. Kai didn’t answer. The only thing coming through was the sound of the Red Ninja’s hurried breaths.

Kai not taking the time to respond was a red flag. The fact that Cole could tell from the ground that his partner wasn’t moving well was a flashing neon light. Whatever happened after he left the rooftop must have been bad. Cole didn’t have time to think about it though. Kai was really fast, even when injured. Cole needed to get a move on if he wanted to keep up.

Parkour was usually therapeutic. Feeling the wind whipping through his hair and the crunch of asphalt and shingles beneath his feet was something that Kai could rely on to center him. It wasn’t getting the job done now.

Cole had been gone for about two minutes before things went wrong. Someone managed to sneak onto their rooftop while Kai was keeping an eye on the suit by the pier. Baby Jay’s yelp came too late, and Kai didn’t have enough time to avoid the brick that crashed into the back of his skull. Their attacker snatched Baby Jay and took off while Kai was seeing double. He barked an alarm in the comm before taking off in the direction he thought they were going.

The Black Ninja's questions went unanswered as Kai sped across the roofs. The Rock Roader thundering in the streets below was the only sign that his partner was keeping pace. It wasn’t until they were four blocks away that Kai realized he made a mistake. The fog cleared from his vision, and Baby Jay was nowhere in sight.

Kai stopped running. He spun around in a panic, hoping they just changed directions, but it was no use. He’d run the wrong way from the start. Not only that, but the wild goose chase also dragged the only person that might be able to pick up the trail in the wrong direction too. Baby Jay was in the wind, and it was his fault.

The realization paralyzed him. First Nya, then Zane, then Lloyd, then Master Wu, then Cole, then Jay, and now Jay’s younger clone. Kai had done nothing to stop any of them from being taken. Every time he had been stuck on the sidelines. Every damn time he had been too slow or too weak to do anything. Every fucking time he had to watch as they slipped through his fingers. He was tired of it. Tired of losing people. Tired of not being good enough.

He didn’t know how long he stood there. Cole showed up at some point. He whispered who-knows-what for who-knows-how-long. Kai was too far away to register any of it. The Master of Earth eventually gave up and slung the Red Ninja over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. They were back in the Rock Roader before Kai finally spoke.

“I lost him.”

“It’s okay,” Cole soothed. The cool tone didn’t have the intended effect. The first emotion Kai felt since falling apart was anger.

“No the fuck it is not, Cole. This is not fucking okay! How can you sit there and say this okay! We just another Jay! I just lost another Jay! You gave me one damn job and I couldn’t even keep my eyes on a fucking teenager!”

Kai could feel his fire responding to the rising anger. It fed on strong emotions like a lantern burned kerosene. Its refusal to listen only led to more frustration. He knew this feedback loop was bad. Something had to be done fast, otherwise there was going to be an explosion.

“Pull over,” he ground out.

“Kai…”

“Stop the damn car, I need some air.”

Cole did as instructed. Kai hopped out and started power walking down the nearest alley. Cole yelled something, but Kai didn’t listen. He jumped on a dumpster and started parkouring up the side of the building. He needed some release. Running was the best way to do that without hurting someone. It hadn’t worked before, but he had to hope it would now.

Baby Jay should have taken priority. Time was of the essence, and the longer they waited the harder it would be to find the little guy. Kai knew he’d be useless right now though. He had to blow off some steam before he could think about helping someone else. Hopefully Baby Jay could hang on while that happened. Kai wouldn’t be able to forgive himself for losing the kid in the first place, but another tragedy might break him.

Chapter Text

The first thing Jay picked up was a map. This version of Ninjago City was massive. He was pretty sure it was bigger than the one he left behind. There was so much to see and do, someone could get lost just turning a couple of corners. He had, in fact, done that twice in the Downtown District while trying to find a mall. It was the second accidental visit to the same lingerie store that convinced him to get a guide.

His Ninjago City was a zoning nightmare. Jay was no city planner, but even he could tell that it was a disaster. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault. Every time there was a large-scale battle, random bits of town ended up flattened. Developers would then snap up demolished lots for a fraction of their value. The city council could have done something about it, but bending the rules became a necessity to speed up the rebuilding process. Money was always tight when one half of the town was in ruin and the other was on fire.

This Ninjago City was the polar opposite. It was so hyper specialized that it looked like someone ripped it from a video game. There might not be physical walls between the sections, it was easy to tell when he crossed into a new one.

The city was divided into seven districts. The Downtown District sat at the center with the other six fanned out around it like slices of a pizza. It was kind of funny reading their names. Domu Square, Jamanakai Heights, Little Ignacia – they were all places he had been to before. It was a nice reminder of home in this foreign land. He guessed it was a function of the Garmadon-induced refugee crisis. The survivors must have kept the old names when they settled into their new homes.

Downtown was his first stop. The center of the city was the beating heart that drove everyday life. People were constantly going in and out of buildings. Some carried coffee, other merchandise. Quite a few didn’t appear to know they were going. He watched one guy try and fail to get out of a revolving door several times. Jay could have spent the entire day people watching, but the need for food and clothing pushed him on.

Finding a mall wasn’t hard - he couldn’t throw a kunai without hitting a shopping center or boutique – but picking one was. Every outlet was different. He wanted one with his style. Liking the clothes was just as important as buying them.

He ended up choosing one in the middle of the district. The geographical city center was giant empty square. The buildings surrounding it were the most important ones in town though. ‘Ninjago City Stock Market’ was etched into one on the southern border. He saw police headquarters, the Downtown District Fire Station, a post office, and a Pilates studio on the east and west sides. How a fitness club afforded the rent was a mystery that he didn’t have time to think about.

The building on the northern edge was, if the plaque was to be believed, the tallest in the city. Ninjago Tower was the home of the government. And a shopping mall. And a dojo. And a rival Pilates studio. It had it all.

Ninjago Tower Shopping Center was surprisingly cheap. He was able to buy a new jacket, two pairs of jeans, and a couple t-shirts for a really good price. The food court had a decent ramen place as well. There was also an adventure store that sold exploration gear. Jay grabbed some carabiners, a length of rope, and a backpack to go with a map of the area.

Armed with directions and irrational confidence, Jay started walking in a random direction. There were more important things he should be doing. Looking for Mystake, doing research, and trying to find a new place to stay were high on that list. The city was calling though. It was new and interesting and waiting to be explored. He rationalized it by calling the detour field work. That wouldn’t hold up in the Court of Lloyd’s Opinion, but the judge wasn’t around to make a ruling right now. Besides, the last excursion led to Prime Empire. Who knew what this one would unearth.

Jamanakai Heights was different. Unlike the quiet village he knew, this version was anything but sleepy. The section was characterized by tall apartment buildings and filled with noise. Between the kids playing in the alleys and the constant rattle of air conditioning units, there wasn’t a moment’s peace. He had crossed through here when Wu dropped him off yesterday morning. He’d also made a return trip to swipe his initial disguise. Neither visit told him much about the area. This time, he was making an effort to learn.

The biggest similarity to the mountain town he knew was that most of the people here were poor. Well-worn clothing and weary faces were enough to tell him that the residents were barely scaping by. He felt a little bad about taking the clothes. Now that he got a good look at the place, it was clear most people couldn’t afford to buy replacements. Hopefully the money left on the line at least covered a new pair of underwear.

The sector’s other defining feature was its complexity. It was basically a maze. Dead end streets and roads that circled back on themselves made it impossible to navigate. The map wasn’t any help either. Whoever made it must not have bothered to survey the place – it was about as accurate as Kai’s sense of direction. Jay spent most of the afternoon trying to find a way out. It took three hours of wandering at street level before he threw in the towel.

How do people get around here? Even Misako wouldn’t be able to map this mess.

Getting out on the ground wasn’t going to happen, so it was time to get some air. Jamanakai’s buildings were easy to scale compared to the Wailing Alps or Mountain of Impossible Heights. The rooftops were much easier to move across but no less convoluted. The varying heights, weird slopes, and uneven distances made it a death trap for the inexperienced. Those same obstacles made it a parkour enthusiast’s dream.

Jamanakai had three neighbors. Like the other radial divisions, it met the Downtown District at the small end of the slice. To the left was the true north sector of Shintaro Terrace. To the right was Little Ignacia, the southeastern piece of the pie.

Jay sat at the top of the tallest apartment complex and considered his options. Shintaro Terrace was a gated community. It was the only district to have actual walls separating it from the rest of the city. Fancy iron gates guarded the five points of entry along the Downtown District dividing line. There was no way to get in from Jamanakai unless someone had a parachute or glider. He would have to sneak in, and that sounded like a lot of effort to look at manicured lawns and swimming pools.

Disqualifying the land of the rich meant Little Ignacia was the next destination, and it was a vast departure from the Heights. This version of Kai and Nya’s hometown was filled with single family homes and townhouses. White picket fences and kids on bikes replaced brick walls and teens that should have been in school. It wasn’t as grandiose as Shintaro, but there was definitely more money here.

The additional funding made sense when Jay found the market. Stalls and stores selling everything from kitchen knives to cheese curds were packed into the tip of the section. The variety and price of the merchandise meant this had to be the artisan district. He was going to need to win some more competitions if he wanted to afford anything here. He bought a sandwich and some pasta salad from a street vendor though. It was passed 14:00 now and all the walking and climbing had drained his energy.

He was passively taking in the sights when he ran into someone. Unlike yesterday, this one was entirely his fault.

“Oh man, I’m so sorry! Are you ok?” Jay asked a little frantically. The bump hadn’t knocked the man over, did make him drop his wares. Blades of all kinds spilled to the ground. Thank Wu’s Dad they were covered – someone might have lost a toe otherwise.

“Don’t worry about it. Not the first time this has happened today,” the man said. Jay could hear the weariness in his voice. This definitely wasn’t the only long day the poor guy had been through.

“Let me give you a hand. Kinda my fault you dropped everything after all.” The man didn’t respond, and Jay took it as an invitation to help.

He was immediately aware that he dodged a bullet. There were more than just butter knives laying on the ground. Some of the blades were for the kitchen, but there were a few daggers and a wicked-looking scimitar too. It was a good thing the guy didn’t have a temper. Dinging one of those could have cost Jay a pretty penny – or a limb.

He hoped putting on a little bit of that Jay Walker charm could get him out of paying for any nicks or scratches. That idea died when he saw who he bumped into. Grey might have started to creep into the hair, but the spikes were sharp as ever. So were the defined features of his face and fire that danced behind his cherry irises. If he didn’t know Kai was the Fire Ninja, he would have assumed this was an older version of him. It was, in a way. Ray Smith stood before him. There were small differences, but this was unmistakably Kai’s dad.

“Thanks for the help. Usually people just keep walking after, uh, are you okay?” he asked. Jay realized he’d been staring. The shock of running into someone he kind of knew threw him off. Now that Ray called attention to it, Jay quickly recovered.

“Uh huh, yeah. Just great! No problems here!” he said.

Smooth.

Ray gave him a raised eyebrow but didn’t press. Jay hid an internal sigh behind a slightly crazed smile. This was far from the worst person to run into. At least this one didn’t want to fight.

“Okay, uh, well, I have to get back to work so if you don’t mind…” This time he gestured to the knives in Jay’s hands.

“Oh, yeah, right. You probably need these, don’t you. Ha ha,” Jay replied. It was a good thing Kai wasn’t there to see him fumbling like this. The current Master of Fire would never let him hear the end of it.

“Say, I think I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Ray started. Recognition started to dawn in his eyes. Jay wasn’t sure where this was going to go, but he hoped it wasn’t combat. Dealing with Wu’s staff was one thing. Taking on a guy with more knives than a razor factor was a different task altogether. “Yeah, you’re Ninja Jay! I saw you play Unagami yesterday! Or, well, I watched the stream with my son after work. I have to say, you’re quite the player.”

Jay breathed a real sigh of relief this time. He thought the minor celebrity status was only among the young crowd. Being recognized by a middle-aged blacksmith that a wife and two kids was weird. Hopefully it meant more people would want autographs than to throw hands.

“Ha ha, thanks. Nice know I’ve got a fan out here.”

“Absolutely! It’s not often you see someone else so skilled at GX-P. Most kids these days go for easier games. You don’t run into people that still respect the classics. Or they don’t run into you, I guess.” They shared a small chuckle at the joke. This version of Ray was a pretty cool guy. Jay wondered how similar he was to his own. “Damn, I have to get back to work. These knives don’t forge themselves you know! Stop by Four Weapons if you’re ever in Little Ignacia again. It would be great to talk with you more.”

“You got it! I’ll totally stop the next time I’m around! Uh, where is Four Weapons?”

“It’s on the corner of 45th and Iron. Here, I’ve got a business card here somewhere,” Ray said. Jay watched him juggle sharp objects as he searched his pockets for the paper. It was easy to see where Kai got his organizational skills and regard for personal safety from. “Ah, there it is! We’re open from 09:00 to 18:00, but you can find me or Maya there pretty late sometimes.”

Jay didn’t actually plan on visiting the blacksmith. There was no reason to. Why would he need a knife if he was playing video games and looking for an old tea lady? Accepting the offer was the polite thing to do though.

They exchanged pleasantries before parting. Jay was about half a block away when he heard Ray calling his name.

“Sorry, sorry! I don’t usually do this, but I couldn’t let the opportunity slip away! Would you, um, be willing to sign something for me?” Jay didn’t know what to expect, but that wasn’t it. Having the former Master of Fire and father of the current one fanboy over him was crazy.

“Of course! How can I say no to a fan?” Jay was laying it on thick, but that only got Ray more excited. The blacksmith pulled flyer and red marker out of somewhere. ‘Galamorph X-Post Summer Classic’ was written across the top. Artwork from the game and pictures of people he didn’t know made up the body. Jay signed in a piece of negative space so the red really popped. Ray looked like he was over the moon.

“Thank you! My son is going to love this! His birthday is coming up soon and this is going to be the perfect present.”

“This is for your son? What’s his name? I’ll add a little extra.” Signing something for Kai’s dad would have been great material. Knowing it was going to the Firestarter himself was even better. Jay couldn’t pass on the chance to poke one of his brothers, even if this was an alternate version.

“Yes, yes. His name is Kai. He’s a big gamer. He wants to join the Empire someday too. I just wish he had as much ambition for his studies as he did for his games.” Jay just smiled as he finished the message. That sounded like the Kai he knew. This one just traded a gi for a game controller.

“Shit, I really have to go now. Maya’s going to be all over my ass for being so late,” Ray said as he carefully tucked the poster under one arm. He hurried off after another quick goodbye. Jay couldn’t contain his smile. Kai was never going to hear the end of this one.

Little Ignacia was a pretty charming place. Metallonia Industrial Park was not. Jay’s initial assumption had been right – this had been the city’s industrial hub at one time. It had probably looked like Little Ignacia in its heyday. Now it was just a burned-out shell that the local hooligans used as a playground. Karlof would have a coronary if he saw what became of his homeland.

There wasn’t much still in operation outside the hot dog stand and Unagami’s arcade. Most of the businesses had been scared off by something. Jay wasn’t sure what, but it likely had something to do with the craters.

The only reason he came back was for the ramen. A tiny noodle shop was one of the few establishments still in operation. He’d seen it on the way to the motel. It had been after 22:00 that night and there was still a line of people outside. It must be special if they were willing to stick around here that late.

The sun was starting to dip over the horizon by the time he got there. Had it not been for curiosity and an angry stomach, Jay would have tried again some other time. Risking life and limb for a bowl of noodles was a Kai-level decision. He couldn’t help it – the prospect of a heavenly bowl of ramen was too good to pass up.

Great. Now I’m thinking like Cole.

Those thoughts were validated when he saw how packed the place was. The order line was twelve people deep, and every available seat was filled. He was committed to staying. All the cardio done that day was starting to take its toll. Plus, he’d come all the way out here. It would be a shame to waste all that time and not eat.

Dying from starvation became less of a concern after he got in line. The staff was churning through orders faster than Wu drank pots of tea. Jay reached the counter in a matter of minutes. He placed an order and had his food before making it to the register.

Wow, these guys are machines.

He had no idea what he was getting. There wasn’t time to read the whole menu, so he just blurted out the first number that came to mind. Hopefully it was good.

There was nowhere to sit, so he took the noodles and claimed a spot at the mouth of a nearby alley. A familiar smell wafted from the box as soon as it was opened.

Black garlic oil and egg, a Zane specialty.

One bite confirmed it. Mushrooms, corn, bamboo sprouts – the nindroid had his fingerprints all over this.

Jay wolfed down the dish as fast as his mouth would allow. It felt like it had been forever since he’d eaten Zane’s cooking. Considering how long they had been in the First Realm and all the nonsense that came after, it had to have been at least a month. It was a month too long. He probably should have slowed down. A voice that sounded suspiciously like both his mother and favorite metallic chef was warning about indigestion.

There was no slowing down at this point. It was the best food he’d eaten since landing in this world. It might be out of the way, but Jay was going to make a point of coming back again. The little hole in the wall had just earned a new recurring customer.

He was so consumed by the noodles that he almost missed the flash of white dancing across the rooftops. Someone – or something – was running across the roofs in the brightest pants he had ever seen. If they were trying to be sneaky, they weren’t doing a very good job.

Jay debated for half a second on whether or not to follow. It wasn’t really his business. He didn’t need to get involved with whatever was trying to bring disco back in the highest parts of the city. At the same time, he was curious.

The curiosity won out. He ducked into the alley before drawing his hood and climbing a fire escape. It would have been nice to have the black or blue gi, but the jacket would do fine as long as he was careful.

White Pants hadn’t gone very far. The choice of attire kept them from moving very fast. Jay would have considered them an amateur if he hadn’t seen the way they moved. Every step was deliberate. The motions were practiced. The pants might be slowing them down, but it didn’t hide the skill.

They were almost a block away by the time Jay made it to the roof. Catching up wouldn’t be a problem. No one was faster than the Master of Lightning, and it didn’t take long to close the distance. He started matching steps when he got on the same rooftop. Saturday Night Fever noticing they had a tail would spoil the fun.

Closer examination revealed the mysterious stranger to be human. Probably a teenager, based on height and build. The green jacket was darkened by the shadows and would have been good for keeping out of sight. That guess about this being a pro was looking better and better. Now he just needed to figure out why they chose the pants.

He followed the kid across the Downtown District. It had been a long time since he’d played Ninja Tag. It was kind of a shame the kid didn’t know they were part of the game. Jay was content to keep it that way. The one-sided game continued until the kid muffed a landing. The pants finally tripped them up, and Jay was a little worried they were going to fall off the building. The underage parkour expert caught themselves before it came to that thankfully.

The misstep also tipped them off to Jay. Stumbling on the landing caused their steps to fall out of sync. Ninja or not, it was hard to hide the sound of a second pair of feet at this distance. They didn’t say anything, but Jay could tell by the change in body language that they knew something was up.

The rest of the trip was trickier. The kid changed their cadence every so often, and Jay didn’t miss the glances in the windows and mirrors either. Anyone else would have been caught. It was harder to fool someone trained to do the same thing though.

They came to a stop just inside the limits of Jamanakai Heights. Jay recognized the area as the place he’d stolen clothes from that morning.

Oh man, is this the guy I robbed?

“I know you’re there,” the person said. Jay’s quarry finally had enough of being followed. There wasn’t a good place to hide on this rooftop, which was probably why they chose to stop there. Jay was lucky to be close to the roof’s edge. A quick step backwards and a fingertip catch on the ledge concealed him from view.

That was close.

He didn’t wait to see what the rooftop runner did next. A couple of controlled drops and a well-timed flip landed him in a dark alley. Stashing the jacket in the backpack effectively changed the disguise should the kid come looking.

For the first time today, Jay took the bus. Walking all day had been tiring. The impromptu free run didn’t do him any favors. It was time to let someone else do the driving.

It dropped him off right outside the motel. What kind of luck was it that one of the stops was exactly where he needed to go?

Jay wanted to crash as soon as he got back to the room. That would have to wait until after a shower though. Sleep sounded good but so did being clean.

He thought about the chase while washing up. The mystery kid was male, if the voice was anything to go by. Going by roof either meant he was a thrill seeker or someone who didn’t want to be seen. Jay was leaning towards the latter. The kid was almost ghost-like as he moved. An adrenaline junkie would have been letting everyone know they were having fun.

The pants – the thing that had drawn Jay’s attention in the first place– were something. This guy was a pro, so why was he running around in pants that were a size too small? Jay had a feeling he was partially responsible. There were a lot of people in the city, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that the chase ended in the same area where he purloined the pantaloons from that morning. There was a good chance they were the only other set the guy owned.

He finished the shower and collapsed onto the bed. It was time for a long night of sleep. His last thoughts were about the kid. Jay knew the chase was a dumb idea before it started, but something in the back of his mind kept repeating that it was necessary. This kid was important for some reason. Why? He had no idea. It was a mystery that he probably shouldn’t devote time towards solving. That never stopped him before, and it wasn’t going to stop him now.

Chapter Text

Jay was scared.

Getting nabbed off the rooftop was scary. Watching Kai crumple when the brick hit the back of his head was scary. Not knowing where he was or who his kidnappers were was scary. But the scariest, most terror-inducing part of the whole ordeal? Discovering that the masterminds were idiots.

This was obviously the two goons’ first kidnapping. It was Jay’s first too, but he’d watched enough true crime shows to know you were supposed to bind and gag your hostage. In fairness they did try the first part. The knot was just so sloppy that Jay’s wriggling had already loosened it. One good shrug and the ropes would fall off like meat from a well smoked rib.

He also knew that your hideout probably shouldn’t be the same place you just collected your bargaining chip from. If Cole had been on the roof with them and Kai hadn’t been mildly concussed, it would have been easy for one of them to find him. The fact they hadn’t bothered to gag him meant one good scream would draw anyone nearby. He didn’t even need to shout – neither of them bothered to take the communicator Pixal gave him last night.

They weren’t even watching him. Goon Number One and Goon Number Two were so enraptured by a game of Uno that neither had eyes on him. Escaping would have been easy for Kai or Cole. They could have shed the ropes, punched out the bad guys, and been out an hour ago. Or they could have escaped the bindings silently and left without anyone noticing.

All of the little mistakes were what made the situation so nerve-wracking. The only thing more dangerous than a villain with a plan was a moron without one.

Getting away should have been a piece of cake, but Jay knew his limitations. He wouldn’t be able to get out of the ropes without the henchmen noticing. Even if he did, taking down one of them would have been impossible, let alone two. They might be dumb, but they were still big.

Calling out wasn’t an option. He would only get one shout. After that his talking privileges were likely to be revoked. Someone might hear him, but those odds were slim. The only ones that would for sure help were probably long gone by now. He might have been able to use the comm if he could get a hand free. Doing that without one of the guards noticing would be a tough ask though.

There were plenty of things he could do, but none of them seemed viable right now. Jay wanted to keep his options open. There was a chance that someone might come for him, and the ability to get out quickly or yell would be more effective. Instead of stew on what couldn’t be done, he decided to survey his surroundings. It was the only thing that wouldn’t disturb the guards. Plus, having as much information as possible would help in the eventual escape/rescue attempt.

They had him tied up in an office. It was barely larger than one of the classrooms at school. There were two formal entrances, one that led to the street and one that opened to the warehouse. The only window was situated on the left wall. The poor thing was pretty much useless. The dusty pane didn’t look like it had been cleaned in years, and its only view was of a corrugated steel wall. The ceiling was low with a lazy fan mounted to it. It had space for three light bulbs, but one was missing and another had gone out.

There were things that looked like they had once been furniture. A broken desk sat in the far corner behind him. Shattered chairs and torn papers littered the floor. The goons didn’t help with the mess. Besides being trash themselves, they left empty take-out boxes and crushed cans all over the place. Hopefully they used some of the money they ransomed him for to buy a trash can.

He could only go over the room so many times before his mind started to drift. He was well aware that he should have been a mess right now. This was the kind of situation that bred nightmares. He expected to be grilled relentlessly for information or thrown in a dark cell with rats and dripping water or even tortured until he passed out. Sitting barely bound to a flimsy chair while his captors argued over whether pineapple belonged on pizza had come out of left field.

The lack of fear might have been because he was more worried about Kai. Jay had seen the brick coming but couldn’t get the warning out in time. The Red Ninja got his bell rung, and Jay was a little concerned when he wobbled to the edge of the roof. Watching him recover was a relief. Watching him sprint off the roof and run in the wrong direction was not.

Jay was pretty sure this had been an ambush. The timing was too perfect. They had been on the roof for over an hour before Cole made his move. The attack came too quickly after that for it to be anything other than planned. He hoped Cole was alright. There was no way to know if this had been set up specifically for when Kai and Jay were alone or if it was just because the ninja split up. If this was a trap for this specific set of circumstances, then the Black Ninja might be in more trouble than Jay was.

He shouldn’t be worried about them. They could take care of themselves. He’d seen them in action yesterday morning. If the story about Morro and the ghosts was anything to go by, a couple of henchmen wouldn’t be an issue. At least, they shouldn’t be an issue. As long as there were only two. He couldn’t be sure if there were more waiting to jump Cole on the ground. Who knew what they did with Kai…

He shouldn’t be worried about them. What were the chances they were worried about him? Misako’s note said Cole and Kai would look after him. The pair seemed genuine. But what if it was all an act? They didn’t really have a reason to care. Even if Misako and Master Wu told them to, it wasn’t like it would be hard to lie and say he found his own way home or something. He’d been asking a lot of questions lately. At some point they were going to get tired of him…

That doomed line of thought was interrupted by a sudden chill descending on the room. The guards scrambled to shut the door and draw the curtains. A fountain of purple sparks erupted from a few feet in front of Jay’s chair as soon as the room went dark. Lightning crackled from a solid black pillar that rose from the floor. It took on a more humanoid form after a few second. A deep, booming laugh echoed in the room. Jay had been scared before – now he was terrified.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Blue Ninja,” a hollow voice called. The nasally tone and crackle of corrupted electricity gave Jay goosebumps. Unlike the two morons standing by the door, whatever this thing was knew how to be threatening. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity. Dreaming in the dark of what I would do…”

There was a pause. The figure’s only defining features were its glowing purple eyes. Jay felt them dart over every inch of his body. The examination made him feel like a piece of fruit at the farmer’s market.

“YOU IDIOTS!” It thundered. Stray bolts of lightning arced off as it whipped around to face the henchmen. “I told you to capture the Blue Ninja! What you’ve brought me is a child that barely fits into its robes!”

“B-b-but boss, we grabbed the one you told us to! This is the one in the blue pajamas with the red and black ones!” Goon Number One stammered.

“No you fools, I said kidnap the Master of Lightning! What you’ve brought me is a Ninja-For-a-Day charity case that is clearly too young and too small to be an Elemental Master!”

Jay felt a little insulted that the thing was being so dismissive. It was just voicing thoughts he already harbored, but it hurt hearing someone else say them out loud.

“W-w-we’re sorry Boss. We’ll go g-grab the real one right now!”

“It’s too late now! The ninja will be on guard and not as easy to separate. We will have to make do with the adolescent you numbskulls captured instead.”

“I-I’m 15!” Jay stammered. Normally he would have taken the slights in stride, but this world’s Kai must have been rubbing off on him.

The figure whirled around to face him again. More of the purple lighting cracked as it moved. Jay shrunk into the gi as the attention was focused back on him. “You might not be the ninja I requested, but you can still be useful. Now tell me, what do you know about the Teapot?”

“T-t-teapot?”

“Yes, yes. The Teapot of Tyrahn. Small, golden, about this size,” the figure rasped. The ghostly image of tea kettle materialized between its fingers. “Why don’t you tell me what you know about it.”

Jay knew nothing about the piece of teaware. It looked like any other kettle you could buy in Little Ignacia. He had no idea why this one might be special.

“I, uh, I don’t know anything about it.”

“Mmm, of course you don’t. This particular artifact is quite old and mysterious. A member of the general public is not likely to know much about its purpose or power. The Blue Ninja, who you are clearly a fan of, would understand its significance. You may not have any knowledge about the Teapot itself, but surely you have some insight into the Master of Lightning. In your informed opinion, where do you think he would hide an object of such great importance.”

Jay didn’t have the foggiest idea where his counterpart would hide something like that. He wouldn’t say even if he did. It must be incredibly powerful if someone was willing to go to these lengths for its retrieval. This might not be Jay’s world, but that didn’t mean he was willing to let something happen to it.

“I’m sorry. I-I have no idea w-where he’d keep something like that.”

“I’m sure you don’t. Why don’t you take a few minutes to think a little bit harder about that. It would be a shame to have to use more forceful methods to jog your memory.” The shadow’s tone sharpened at the threat. The room got noticeably colder. The electric glow of the purple sparks got brighter. Jay gulped as the figure leaned in. He didn’t have many options, and none of them were good. Trying to keep his mouth shut was only going to get him hurt. He had to give these guys something, otherwise the only thing left for Cole and Kai to rescue would be a corpse.

“I, uh, I think, uh,”

“Out with it already! Where does the Master of Lightning keep his valuables!”

“I-I-I…”

“TELL ME!”

“The tea shop! He keeps them in the tea shop!” Jay blurted out. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn’t. He just said a random place and hoped it would buy some time.

“Steeped Wisdom?! You can’t seriously expect me to believe that. The ninja sold the tea shop year ago. Then again, it would be an excellent hiding place. No one would think to look there now, and it was in their possession around the time the Blue Ninja would have recovered the Teapot. Yes, yes. Very clever,” it said. Even though it didn’t have facial features, Jay could see the excitement pop in its eyes.

It started circling the chair, talking to itself. Jay was pretty sure he wasn’t meant to hear any of it. The shadow was too preoccupied to care.

“I’ll go there tonight. I’ll tear the building apart board by board if I must. Once I recover the Teapot, the first part of the plan will be ready. Then I need only wait for the girl to complete her task…”

“What should we do with the kid Boss?” Goon Number Two asked. Jay was starting to wonder that himself. Spitting out an answer so quickly might have been a mistake. They wouldn’t do anything to him if they thought he was still useful.

“Keep him. Should this lead of his prove to be, less than helpful, we may have need of him again.”

Not sure if that’s good news or bad news.

“You got it Boss. We’ll make sure he stays put.”

“You better. I must see that the girl is still on task. After she is finished and I have recovered the Teapot, we can move on to phase two,” it said. The shadow turned its attention to Jay after addressing its lackeys. “It had best where you say it is. Otherwise I may have to do some very unpleasant things.”

The shadow melted into the floor after delivering the threat. The room returned to a normal temperature, and Jay could feel his heart rate start to come down. Whatever that thing was had disappeared.

That might not have been a good thing. The odds of Other Jay hiding the teapot at the old tea shop were slim. Who knew how long it took the shadow to figure out it wasn’t there. Jay was on a clock now. He had to get out of there before the real villain returned.

Waiting for the ninja to arrive wasn’t an option anymore. Jay was going to have to take some risks if he wanted to get out alive. Trying for the back door was the best option. Dumb and Dumber were still parked at the front. The window was closed, and he didn’t feel like eating glass today.

It didn’t really matter what he decided to do if the henchmen were watching. They could close on any movement in a second. He needed some help...

The distraction came in the form of a bird. He was debating the best way to make a move when the window imploded. Shards of glass were flung inward as a large silver falcoln broke through the pane. It made a couple of laps around the room before zeroing in on Goon Number One.

Huh. That was convenient.

Jay was almost too stunned to take advantage of the chaos. Shaking off the shock, he shrugged off the ropes before fleeing to the rear door. The guards were too busy with their avian assailant to notice.

They didn’t even lock the door? Seriously?

He slipped through the door and slid the deadbolt into place. There was no telling how long it would be before they fended off their airborne attacker. He needed a new plan, and fast.

The warehouse floor was full of junk. The spacious interior was filled with shelving stacked high with discarded parts. A catwalk hung overhead, running along the walls and crossing over the middle at even intervals. Large bay doors sat closed at both ends of the room. Light filtered in from the skylights. The orange tint told him it was early evening.

A banging at the door meant that the guards must have taken care of his skybound savior. The wooden barrier wouldn’t hold forever, so Jay ducked into the stacks in an attempt to hide. Hopefully a game of cat and mouse would buy him enough time to escape.

The shelves were about twice his height and cluttered with old electronics. PC towers, fans, motherboards, floppy discs and more populated the racks. It would have been pretty cool to go through everything if he was currently running for his life.

A loud crack echoed through the room as the goons broke through the door. Jay could hear the henchmen’s footsteps as they ran from shelf to shelf. The pair weren’t quiet, so Jay had plenty of warning when he had to move. His own footfalls were soft enough to be covered up by the others.

Playing hide and seek wasn’t going to work forever. Eventually he was going to be spotted. He had to escape through the rear exit before that happened. The way things were going, that was going to be difficult. The hired muscle was a little smarter than he gave them credit for. One was always had the back door covered while the other worked from the front. They might not know exactly where he was, but they weren’t going to let him escape.

Jay was going to need another distraction. Asking for another aves from the aether seemed like a bit much. He was going to have to make his own luck now. That was going to be a lot easier now. Electronics were his specialty, and there were plenty of parts to use. All he needed were some tools and some time.

The first part was easy to find. Every other rack had a random assortment of screwdrivers, wire cutters, and pliers. There was even an old soldering iron hidden behind a bunch of PCBs. Time wasn’t as plentiful. Goon Number Two was slowly herding him into a corner. The pair were shrinking the number of hiding places. It wouldn’t be long before he was caught again.

They finally found him after he finished making a thing. He had no idea what it was or if it would work, but it was the best chance he had.

“Hey! I found him! He’s in this aisle!” Goon Number Two shouted. He was at the far end of the row. Jay started toward the other side but was cut off by Goon Number One.

Wish I got a couple of test shots with this thing first…

The henchmen advanced slowly. Jay pressed the eject button on the doohicky and waited for something to happen. The box started to buzz, then the sound strengthened to a purr. The hired men closed in. Goon Number One laughed as the black box started to whine.

“That piece of junk ain’t gonna save you kid. We got you right where we…”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence. The whine turned to a screech as a copy of I Told You You’re Wasting Your Time I Vowed To Give Up That Way Of Life rocketed from the mouth of the cassette recorder. Goon Number One took a tape to the face and went down like a sack of potatoes. The kickback knocked Jay on his backside. Both he and Goon Number Two sat stunned for a second. Neither could believe the contraption actually worked.

The device that just sent Goon Number One to Dreamland was a modified VCR. Jay replaced the original eject motor with something that should have a little more kick. Add a few batteries in series for power and it was something that would either blow up or blow his way out of here.

Jay shook off the shock and scrambled back to his feet. He pointed the VCR Cannon at Goon Number Two and pushed the button again. The hired muscle dove behind a shelf as it started to ramp up. Jay quietly set it down and ran the opposite way. He only had one piece of ammunition, but the other guy didn’t need to know that.

With one henchman down for the count and the other fearing for his life, Jay made his way to the rear exit. He couldn’t believe he got out of that jam. He was home free…

Too bad the door was locked. Jay tried to force it open, but it was no use. Strength was not his strong suit. He might have been able to pick to lock or make something to open it with more time. That, along with his luck, had finally run out. He felt Goon Number Two grab him by the scruff of the gi. The man wasn’t very gentle about it either.

“Gotta give you credit kid, that was a pretty neat trick. Too bad you didn’t have more ammo,” he said. Jay was inclined to agree. “But, seeing as you didn’t, I think it’s time for a little revenge. You hurt my friend pretty bad with that little stunt. Can’t let that go unpunished.”

Jay had taken plenty of abuse from the bullies at school before. This figured to be worse.

He mentally prepared himself for what was to come when the sound of breaking glass saved his life for the second time that day. Something descended from a fresh hole in the skylight. Jay was sure it was the shadow from earlier until it hit the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed from where it landed. This thing was solid. Very solid.

Goon Number Two turned with Jay still in hand. Tall and dark as a moonless night, the new terror wore a black, tri-toned robe decorated with triangle tessellations and a grey camo chest plate. Silver pieces of armor covered the shoulders. An orange belt was tied around its waist. The largest hammer Jay had ever seen was strapped to its back. Up top, a black hood and mask covered its head. A white border framed the opening for the eyes. The figure wasn’t as terrifying as the grape flavored lightning shooter from earlier, but it might have been more intimidating.

Jay’s captor was shaking in his boots. Jay would have been too if he hadn’t seen the eyes. Orange flecks that matched the belt were embedded in dark irises. There was only one person he knew with eyes like that.

Cole! He actually came!

“Hey buddy. How about we make a deal. Put the kid down and you get to go home with all your limbs.” Jay got the feeling Goon Number Two was going to need a doctor after this regardless of what he did. Rather than comply, the henchman tightened his grip.

“Back off, Black Ninja. I-I’m not scared of you.”

“Yeah, not gonna happen. Besides, I’m not the one you should be worried about.” Cole cryptic response made the henchman pause. Jay’s eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen. Cole must not have come alone. The goon was probably about to ask what the Master of Earth meant before the door behind them was ripped from its hinges. A fiery tornado roared into the room as the barrier to exit was sent flying.

The flaming twister stopped in the doorway. Dressed in a simple red gi with white markings on the left side and a white left sleeve, Jay assumed this was Kai. Much like Cole, the hood and mask were drawn, and a white border framed his face. Twin katanas were strapped to his back.

Did they seriously go home and change before coming to rescue me?

The different gi weren’t important. Cole was right – Kai was a whole lot scarier than the Black Ninja was right now. There was a fury written on his face that Jay hadn’t seen since someone keyed the principal’s car.

The henchman went chalk white when he saw the flames in the Red Ninja’s eyes. Jay was also a little nervous. Kai didn’t look like he cared about collateral damage right now.

“I’m only going to say this once. Put. The Kid. Down.”

The goon recovered enough composure to do something stupid. Cole might have been bored by the banter, but Kai was clearly not in the mood for it.

“Yeah, what if…” Like Goon Number One, Goon Number Two didn’t get to finish the sentence. Kai was on him in an instant. The same ferocity that he attacked Cole with during their spar yesterday morning was on full display. Jay had thought it was cool before, but being up close and personal with it was a very different experience. He could feel heat emanating from Kai’s fist as it passed by his ear and made contact with the grunt’s nose. The guy dropped Jay in favor of clutching the fractured cartilage.

Jay scuttled away as the henchman stumbled backwards into Cole’s waiting arms. The Black Ninja didn’t waste any time in wrapping him up and delivering a nasty suplex. Goon Number Two was definitely going to need a doctor after that one.

Kai’s back had been turned to the corner Jay scooted into. When he spun around, the flames of rage still burned bright. The Red Ninja closed the distance quickly and Jay found himself enveloped in a hug before he could blink.

It should have been a little scary that the man with murder in his eyes was so close. The only thing Jay could think about was how warm the hug was. It was like slipping into a pair of pajamas that just came out of the dryer.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Kai mumbled into the fabric of Jay’s gi. Jay returned the hug in response. He wasn’t sure what to say. The obviously upset Master of Fire tightening his grip meant the gesture must have been enough.

Jay felt a little guilty for thinking they wouldn’t come for him. Based on Kai’s shaking shoulders, the ninjas’ day hadn’t been much easier. But they came for him. When Jay needed them the most, they came. He could never hope to repay them for it. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.

Chapter Text

Zane wasn’t surprised when Lloyd told everyone about the encounter. It would have been a statistical oddity if two beings that liked travelling over the top of Ninjago City’s buildings didn’t run into each other eventually. That it happened so soon was merely luck.

“I don’t know what else to say. The only looks I got were through windows and mirrors, and none of them were good,” Lloyd complained. Kai had been grilling him about it since they sat down for lunch. There wasn’t much to work with, but the little Lloyd had been able to gather was enough to get Zane started. There were numerous security cameras around town. It was impossible to avoid all of them. Finding their mysterious figure shouldn’t be too difficult.

“It followed you halfway across town and then just disappeared when you figured out it was following you?” Cole asked. Lloyd nodded. He was a little shaken by the ordeal, but at least he was completely there mentally today. Whatever was bothering him before was either resolved or pushed to the recesses of his mind. Zane hoped for the former knowing it was likely the latter.

“I don’t know how long it followed me for either. I only found out it was there because those stupid pants tripped me.”

“Guess the disco digs actually came in handy,” Kai added. He leaned dangerously far back in his chair as he spoke. Zane could see what was about to happen before it did.

“Yeah, you could say that. I think I could have lost whoever it was if I had my jeans.”

“You really think you could have out run it?” Cole asked. Lloyd gave him a shrug.

“Bro! Not actual bro!” Nya yelled as she sat her tray down. The force and volume of the entrance was enough to startle Kai. He tipped over backwards, windmilling his arms in a futile attempt to maintain balance. The flailing knocked a lunch tray out of a passing student’s hands. Kai ended up on his back with chicken karaage on his face. Their classmate didn’t fare any better. Rice and peas dotted the unfortunate girl’s blouse. It was going to stain, and Zane pretty sure even he couldn’t save the clothing.

“Oh you clumsy! Ugh I’m never going to get this out!” she complained before storming out. Kai yelled a very apologetic sorry as she left. Nya and Cole laughed as he stood up. A piece of chicken was still stuck in his hair.

Zane didn’t understand what was so amusing. Kai’s irresponsibility had made a mess and caused distress for both himself and another student. Both of them were embarrassed, and the incident would likely be brought up amongst the student body for weeks. Yet no one else at the table seemed upset. Kai was laughing, just like he usually did.

The reaction didn’t make logical sense. Then again, neither did a lot of things most of his friends did. Kai continued to run track even though he wasn’t interested in it. Cole insisted on listening to music instead of the teachers in classes he didn’t like – which were most of them. Nya repainted her motorcyle every other week even though the previous coat was fine. Jay was scared to communicate with them even though they were all friends. Lloyd refused to ask for assistance even when it was blatantly obvious he needed it.

That last one was becoming an issue. It was small and unintrusive now, but Zane was worried it would become an actual problem if left unchecked. The last few days proved that. He was their leader, and they counted on his being focused. That was especially important considering the circumstances they found themselves in.

Jay’s disappearance was baffling. Zane had checked the school security cameras yesterday morning. They showed the dodgeball incident and Lloyd walking Jay to the infirmary. Lloyd and Nya running into each other at the lockers followed. The footage ended after they picked up the flyers, flicking instead to a recording of the group running to the bathroom.

He and Jay had programmed the cameras to do that whenever a GarmAlarm was activated to prevent people from discovering the transport tubes. It helped keep the Secret Ninja Force a secret, but the measure was working against them now. It erased any record of Jay leaving the nurse’s office and his movements after.

Master Wu’s vanishing act was easier to track. The video feed from the warehouse showed him entering the building after they left to fight Garmadon. Sometime later, something startled him. Whatever it was didn’t show up on the camera. Master Wu could either see or sense it though. He left in the Bounty and headed northwest out of the city.

Things got strange the next day. Security cameras tracked the ship reentering Ninjago City airspace. It flew in from the same direction as it departed, landed briefly in the harbor, then abruptly took off again. Master Wu – who he assumed was still onboard – flew back the way he came. That was two days ago. There had been no sign of the ship or its captain since.

Lloyd’s mysterious follower was an unwelcome addition to the growing list of puzzles. What was it? What did it want? There were a hundred questions and very few answers.

Zane was sure that all three were connected – the odds that they were all a coincidence were miniscule. The burning question was how. What tied all three of them together? He was confident that the answer would lead them to their missing friends.

The group – mainly Nya – had decided to get together tonight to share yesterday's. Zane was eager to see what new information they came up with. He knew that there wasn’t a problem the Secret Ninja Force couldn’t solve when they worked together.

He was running diagnostics on the Ice Tank when Lloyd arrived. Zane had prepared his presentation in Graphic Design class that afternoon. It didn’t look like Lloyd brought anything to display. Maybe it was all on note cards.

The Green Ninja greeted him politely before buzzing over to the changing area. He returned in a training gi and went to the mats without another word. Zane recognized it as a sign that he didn’t want to be bothered. Lloyd wasn’t the most open person, but he still tried to make small talk whenever possible. Short answers and minimal conversation were his way of asking to be left alone.

The purr of Nya’s motorcycle announced the Water Ninja’s arrival half an hour later. The door popped open with a bang when she made her entrance. This greeting was much more enthusiastic. Zane returned it proportionally. Lloyd gave a more subdued response. Nya didn’t appear to mind. She climbed into the Water Strider, turned on some music, and started a systems check.

The trio worked in relative silence for the next few hours. Zane didn’t realize how late it was until he saw Lloyd leave the training area. Concern was written on his face.

“Hey Nya?” The Green Ninja tried to ask. He was going to have to be louder than that. Nya was too busy cursing out her mech to hear him. “Uh, Nya? NYA!”

“Argh! Dammit! What is it, Lloyd?” Lloyd was almost beneath the platform at that point. He was lucky she didn’t hit him with a wrench.

“Have you heard from Kai? Or Cole?”

Zane belatedly realized neither of them had shown up yet. Nya’s frown when she finally jumped down indicated she hadn’t noticed either.

“Kai was staying late to work on a project in the metal shop. Dumbass probably lost track of time and forgot to call. Haven’t heard from Cole all day though. Maybe he has detention?” she replied. Kai getting absorbed in a shop project and losing wasn’t unusual, but he still should have arrived by now. As for Cole, Zane knew for a fact he didn’t have detention today. The secretary at the front desk said as much when she complained that it cost her a twenty in the office pool.

He said as much, and that made the tension in the room rise. Zane exited the tank and rolled over to join the duo. From the looks on their faces, they were all thinking the same thing.

How do we keep losing track of our friends?

“Lemme call him. He probably forgot and went to get food or something.”

Nya didn’t get to make the call - Cole burst through the doorway before the phone left her pocket. A soaked Kai slid in behind him.

“What happened to you two?” Nya and Lloyd asked simultaneously. Kai practically vibrated while Cole struggled to catch his breath.

“Long story. Really long story, but check this shit out!” Kai pulled five pieces of paper from his pocket. He handed them out, trying not to let them get wet. Zane could feel the fancy finish as he took it. It shimmered in the warehouse light. He didn’t need to read the text to know it was a ticket to something.

“Prime Empire Opening Ceremony – Ninjago City Park – Friday at 12:00 – Admittance One. How the fuck did you get these?” Nya’s voice rose in volume and pitch as she read the card. Lloyd kept opening and closing his mouth.

“You wouldn’t believe us if we told you,” Cole said.

He was probably right. The waiting list for general admittance tickets was 3,508 people long, and only one could be reserved at a time. Payment was also required at the time of purchase. They were ridiculously expensive, and being a ninja wasn’t exactly a well-paying job. He doubted any of their allowances – save Cole or Jay’s – would cover the cost of one ticket, let alone five.

“Try us.”

“You were right. I don’t believe you,” Lloyd said.

“Told you,” Kai replied. He wouldn’t have believed it either if he hadn’t been there, but with Cole as his witness, he swore it was true. “But that doesn’t matter. What’s important is that we got ‘em!”

“What is important is that you do not catch a cold. The ticket will be worthless if you are too sick to use it,” Zane said. Kai pouted as the robot took his temperature. It was bad enough Nya made him strip down to his boxers to get out of the wet clothes. Zane’s mothering was not appreciated. “In any case, we still have school. It is unlikely that we will be able to leave to attend the ceremony.”

“Yeah, I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about school. The main hallway is fucked eight ways to Sunday, and I don’t think the roof is any better.”

“So, what you’re saying is we’re going to have a lot of free time on our hands,” Nya mused. Kai could see the metaphorical gears turning in her head and hear the physical ones grinding in Zane’s. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were thinking.

Shutting down the school for the foreseeable future was arguably the most important thing to happen today. Getting the tickets was cool, but not having to worry about class meant they could focus on solving their Jay problem.

“Yep, and we can use that to work on figuring out what happened to Jay…” Kai started.

“And what happened to Master Wu…” Lloyd added.

“And who Ninja Jay is…” Nya supplied.

“…And who or what is stalking Lloyd,” Cole finished.

“It seems we have a lot more to worry about than the next Garmadon attack,” Zane said. Everyone blanched at the reminder. Things were bad if they had collectively pigeon-holed their primary purpose. Kai wondered if they might be in over their heads with this. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like there was anyone they could ask for help.

“So, where do we start?” Lloyd asked. Everyone turned to look at him in unison. It was a good question, and one that the leader should answer.

Cole said as much, and Lloyd immediately began to sputter. Throwing hands with his father was apparently easier than deciding what problem to tackle first. Luckily Zane stepped in to save him. The robot had probably been thinking about this all day if the slideshow loading onto the screen was anything to go by.

“Yesterday, Kai and I went downtown to do some research,” he started. The first slide was a picture of them at NGTV News. Kai was talking to the receptionist while Zane took the selfie.

“The editors allowed us to review some of the footage that the studio cut from their broadcasts over the last three days, though it did take some convincing.” The next slide showed Zane and one of the camerapeople at a computer. Kai was in the background arm wrestling one of the editors. Two other people in dress clothes stood off to the side clutching their left hands in shame.

“We discovered a video someone submitted to the studio yesterday morning. It never made it to air, but it appears to show a dark figure moving across the rooftops just after sunrise.” The video getting cut wasn’t surprising. The quality was terrible – it was like an old lady shot it on a flip phone. The news loved to sensationalize things, but they needed more than a dark smudge to work with.

That dark smudge was a lot more interesting to Kai and Zane though. It was moving at a speed even Lloyd would have been hard pressed to match, and it was doing it with a bunch of extra flips and spins that were probably unnecessary.

“What’s so special about this?” Cole asked dryly.

“We’re pretty sure this is what stole your pants, Lloyd,” Kai replied.

“What makes you think this is what stole my pants?” Lloyd asked.

“Based on the direction the figure is moving and the position of the sun, I calculate that it was moving east towards Jamanakai Heights at approximately 06:37 that morning,” Zane added. Cole and Nya weren’t catching on yet. He could tell that Lloyd was starting to put the pieces together though.

“And this is important why…” Nya drawled.

“Because sis, who do we know that lives in Jamanakai Heights?”

Kai could hear the metaphorical crickets in the background. Luckily it didn’t take Lloyd long to figure out what they were getting at.

“Me. I’m the only one that lives there,” he answered.

“Ding ding ding, we have a winner!” Kai exclaimed. “We couldn’t find another video, but if this thing was moving like that across the city, it definitely could have gotten up to Lloyd’s window and taken his clothes.”

The realization hit Cole and Nya like a Shark Army missile. The Earth Ninja seemed to buy into the idea immediately. Nya looked skeptical but didn’t immediately shoot it down. Whether that was because it had Zane’s backing or she was still considering it was unclear.

“Okay, so we have a lead on Lloyd’s burglar. Kind of. Anybody else find anything?” Cole asked.

“I did some digging into who Ninja Jay could be. I didn’t find much – the guy’s pretty much a ghost – but I did make a list of people he could be,” Nya said. She ran over to the computer table and picked up a piece of paper. Narrowing the entire city down to a list of fourteen people sounded like a lot of work. Too bad Lloyd had to throw cold water on it.

“Sorry Nya, but I don’t think that list is going to help. I’m pretty sure he isn’t on it.”

Everyone turned to look at Lloyd again. He didn’t meet their eyes, choosing to dig a toe into the ground instead. Telling Nya she wasted her time was one thing. Telling Nya that she wasted her time without proof was another. Kai knew Lloyd needed to pick his next words carefully or there would be hell to pay.

“I just. I have this feeling. I know it sounds weird but I need you guys to trust me on this one. My gut is telling me we aren’t going to figure out who Ninja Jay is that easily.”

Ooh boy. Gonna have to do better than that...

Nya looked like she was about ready to combust. Lloyd must have been expecting a lecture because he was already shrinking in on himself. Cole saved the day this time.

“I trust you. Your gut’s never been wrong before. Besides, it sounds like this guy covered his tracks really well. I doubt Jay is his real name.”

“Yeah, whatever past Ninja Jay has is buried deep. Mother Doomsday didn’t even know who the guy was before that ass kicking he gave Unagami,” Kai chimed in. It was supposed to be in support of Lloyd. Instead it just drew Nya’s anger.

“You went to a game store?” Nya asked incredulously.

“Well yeah. Who else are you gonna ask about a gamer than the Game Master himself?” Kai fired back. Maybe he didn’t go to the library to do his research, and maybe he spent a little too long looking at the new releases, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t working. Sometimes it was more effective to ask the people than consult the computer.

Lloyd stopped the budding argument with a dramatically loud cough. Kai had the decency to look sheepish while Nya crossed her arms defiantly. Satisfied that they were refocused, he turned his attention to the rest of the group. Cole hadn’t presented yet, but he didn’t have anything to report. Neither did Lloyd. Rather, he didn’t have anything he wanted to share. Kai got the feeling Lloyd was holding something back. It was a little annoying – especially since he still refused to talk about what had been bothering him all week – but now wasn’t the time to call him on it. That could wait until they had some one-on-one time.

Zane printed off notes of the information they had so far. When he laid it all on the table, it was readily apparent that they didn’t know shit.

Unraveling the Disappearing Jay Trick was going to be a lot harder than any of them thought. There were no leads, and no leads about leads. It was like he just poofed out of existence. Kai was sure they would need help with this one. If only the wise old man that was supposed to be training them was around.

There wasn’t much on the Master Wu front either. Zane had some videos of the Bounty but that was it. Lloyd didn’t know of many places his uncle could have gone and had even fewer ideas of what could have coaxed him out of the warehouse in the first place. The old man’s sudden absence was concerning but not the most pressing thing on their plate. Master Wu could take care of himself. There wasn’t anything in this world he couldn’t handle.

The Ninja Jay enigma only made Nya mad again. Kai wasn’t sure why she was so obsessed with a guy she had never met. The part about him vanishing into thin air last night was strange. Considering what they knew about him though, it wasn’t that surprising. A man who could pop into existence could probably drop out of it just as easily.

Things got heated when they started talking about Lloyd’s stalker. Kai wasn’t concerned. At all. This thing could have hurt Lloyd at any time. His little green friend was crafty, but it was blindingly obvious that he was at its mercy last night. Zane agreed. Having the computer on his side should have been the end of the discussion.

Nya and Cole were convinced it was out to get him though. Zane hadn’t been able to keep up with it on the cameras – it kept ducking in and out of frame randomly, and that threw the robot off enough that he couldn’t tell exactly when it started and stopped following Lloyd. That sent the pair’s protective instincts into overdrive. Kai knew it was only because they were scared for Lloyd’s safety. Ignoring reality was only distracting the team from more important things though.

Lloyd mostly stayed out of the fight. He didn’t know what to think yet and wouldn’t weigh in until he was certain one way or the other. That fear of conflict wasn’t helping either. Kai wished he would speak his mind so they could put the problem to bed.

Eventually Nya tabled the issue. It was already past 20:00. They needed to wrap things up if they wanted to get home before the sun went down.

“Okay, so yesterday we found a blurry video of a thing that might have stolen Lloyd’s pants, a list of names that Ninja Jay probably isn’t on, some videos of Master Wu doing donuts in the sky, and fuck all about what happened to Jay. We spent all that time and didn’t learn anything! Fan-fucking-tastic!” Nya punctuated the rant by kicking an unsuspecting trash can. Papers and empty soda cans were thrown across the room as it spiraled towards the opposite end of the warehouse.

“I wouldn’t say it was a total waste. By learning nothing about the guy, we did learn something,” Lloyd said. That sounded a lot like Master Wu and Kai wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“This is true. Now we know that traditional means of research are likely to be useless,” Zane added. It didn’t do anything to calm Nya down. It made her angrier if anything. “We also have a lead on what may have taken Lloyd’s pants. Also, I believe that the shadow that followed Lloyd home last night is the same one that stole his pants that morning.”

That was an angle Kai hadn’t considered. If Lloyd’s stalker and mugger were one and the same, then maybe they could kill two birds with one stone. That, or it meant one problem was about to get a whole lot bigger.

“We gotta figure out what this thing wants before it tries to hurt Lloyd. What if it’s one of Garmadon’s spies or something?” Cole asked.

“Or, hear me out, what if it’s nice?” Kai suggested.

“Do you seriously want to try to make friends with a cryptid?” Nya scoffed. The answer was yes, but Kai knew she didn’t want to hear that.

“I will tell you who the shadow is.” A new voice entered the conversation, ending the retread of their earlier argument before it began. The statement came from right behind Kai’s left shoulder, and he was not proud of the sound he made when that fact registered. The distance he jumped would have made the track coach proud though.

“Master Wu!” the others called in unison. Sure enough, the old man was standing behind the spot Kai had just vacated. He looked tanned and refreshed, like he’d been on vacation.

Everyone started talking at once. Lloyd was trying to ask where he had been. Nya was trying to ask why he left. Cole said something about the tan. Zane was complimenting him on his stealthy approach. Kai wanted to punch the old geezer. Not just for disappearing, but also for almost scaring him out of his last remaining article of clothing.

“Students! There is little time. I cannot stay long and will not have time to answer all of your questions. I returned to see how you were doing and to make sure you were keeping up on your training,” Master Wu said. That sucked a lot of the enthusiasm out of the room. Lloyd especially looked defeated. Kai couldn’t help but be a little resentful that their teacher was abandoning them again. At least this time he had the decency to tell them in person. “There is something I must do outside the city, but it is important that you understand what you are facing in my absence.

“Something from far away has entered our world. It sounds like you encountered it last night, Lloyd. Understand that it will not stop until it completes its mission. It is up to you – all of you – to deal with it,” Master Wu said ominously. A hush fell over the group. Maybe labelling the thing as friendly was a little premature.

“What is this ‘thing’ Master Wu?” Lloyd asked. The old man stroked his beard, as if contemplating his answer. Kai knew it was only for dramatic effect. Master Wu knew exactly what it was – he was just enjoying holding everyone in suspense.

“It is a challenge. One that only at your best will you be able to overcome. It will test all of your ninja skills and require you to look deeper into yourselves than you ever have before.”

Kai really hoped that was just Master Wu being dramatic. From the ninja master’s tone and posture, he wasn’t so sure.

“Whatever it is, we can take it! One shadow won’t be able to stop our mechs!” Nya cheered.

“No Mechs! Your machines will be useless against it. This is a fight that only a true ninja can win,” Master Wu chided. That couldn’t be good. Whatever this thing was, apparently it was more powerful than their machines.

Why are you leaving a bunch of teenagers to deal with this? We’re awesome but come on!

“I must leave before the sunsets. It is up to you to decide how to approach this. There is but one clue I can leave you. When you can answer this question, you will have discovered the secret to success in your mission.”

“Why can’t you just tell us what the secret is?” Cole whined.

“How are you supposed to learn anything if I give you all the answers?”

Well, he’s got us there.

“The riddle you must solve is this: what is the best way to defeat your enemy?”

Seriously? That’s it? That’s vague, even for you.

“Now, I must go. Remember what I have taught you, my ninja. I have faith you will emerge from this stronger than before.”

Smoke started pouring in from below Master Wu’s feet. The cloud of white enveloped him before a breeze forced it to disperse. When it was gone, so was Master Wu. It took everyone a second to realize their sensei had vanished again.

There was a flurry of activity when the team finally came back to their senses. Nya railed on the old man for disappearing again. Lloyd frantically searched the area, hoping his uncle was hiding in a closet or something. Zane made dial up sounds as he tried to process something. Kai wondered where the wind came from when all the doors and windows were closed. Cole was the only one still focused. He let out a long, high-pitched whistle that got everyone’s attention.

When everyone stopped panicking and huddled together, the Earth Ninja asked the most important question of the day.

“What the hell just happened?”

Chapter Text

When presented with a problem he didn’t know how to solve, Cole fell back on the old ninja stand by – ask the computer for help.

Zane had been in the middle of a project. He was supposed to be working on getting Big Jay back, but it had been a while since they heard anything. What he was doing didn’t matter – right now the White Ninja’s help was needed in rescuing Baby Jay. Finding Kai was also important, but he could wait. Nothing in the city was a real threat to the Red Ninja. Honestly, he was more of a danger to others than himself…

Okay, maybe Kai needs to be a bit higher on the priority list.

“Do you have any idea who kidnapped Baby Jay.” Zane had barely pulled in the parking lot before getting down to business.

“No. We thought we were staking out the Sons of Garmadon, but the guys down at the docks weren’t bikers. I didn’t get a good look at them, and I don’t think Kai did either.”

“Where is Kai now? We may need him in identifying the kidnappers.”

“Good question. He got out of the Roader and took off about an hour ago. Zane, I think something’s wrong with him.”

Cole knew Kai was falling apart inside. The carefree masks and happy-go-lucky attitude the Red Ninja had adopted since returning from the First Realm didn’t fool him. The hope had been that some time off with friends and family would fix things. Things weren’t great before the Tornado, but Kai losing his fire made them worse. His emotions and element regulated each other. Now that one was gone, it was only a matter of time before there was a meltdown.

“Did he go by land or by sky?”

“Sky. I saw him climb up a fire escape before he disappeared.”

“I think our best option would be to divide and tackle both problems at the same time.” Zane suggested. Cole didn’t like the idea. This whole mess could have been avoided if they hadn’t split up in the first place.

He said as much, but the nindroid wasn’t swayed. “While that may be correct, it is now a necessity. Baby Jay’s trail is already cold, and the more time we spend looking for Kai the harder it will be to find again. As you have said, leaving our teammate to roam on his own is not an option. He may injure himself or others.”

“I’ll go after Hot Head. I think I know where to find him. You head to the docks. We’ll meet you there after he cools off.” Zane nodded once before revving his engine. Cole watched his license plate disappear around a corner before starting his own car. There was a thousand places Kai could have run. The more he thought about it, the more the list narrowed.

It only took one guess to find him. Thankfully the Master of Fire still had enough control not to do something stupid.

Kai sat at their usual table. His head was pressed against the laminated surface. A cooling bowl of noodles stared longingly at him. Skylor was seated on the opposite side. Thank Wu’s Dad she liked this dumbass.

“What happened? I can’t get him to talk to me,” she asked when Cole walked in. There was a lot of worry and little patience in her eyes. He couldn’t really blame her. Dealing with an emotionally distraught Kai was a chore, and probably more than she could handle while trying to run a business.

“We got ambushed down at the docks. Someone nabbed Baby Jay and he’s blaming himself for it.” Skylor put a hand over her mouth at the news. Even though they’d only known each other for five minutes, it was obvious she had a soft spot for the alternate Jay.

“That explains a lot. If you’re here, then…”

“Zane’s at the warehouse trying to pick up the trail. I’m just here to grab Sulky so we can rescue the kid.”

“Good luck. I haven’t seen him this bad in a long time.”

Cole knew he had his work cut out for him. Convincing Kai that something wasn’t his fault was like getting Lloyd to eat vegetables. At least this would give Zane time to track down Baby Jay. The White Ninja would find him, no question. He just hoped he could bring the cavalry before anything else happened.

It took three bowls of noodles, a couple of head slaps, and a call from Zane to get Kai out of the booth. All things considered it went better than Cole expected. Sure, they were there for three hours, but there had been longer sessions. He couldn’t say it went well though – the Red Ninja was still a wreck. That was a problem for later. Now it was only important that he could walk. Cole knew that the man would do everything he could to protect people so long as he could hold a sword.

Someone needed to save Kai from himself. Ideally that would have been Lloyd or Master Wu. Neither of them had bothered to step in before, and neither of them were here to do it now. That meant the task fell to Cole. He blamed himself for letting things get this far. He should have put a stop to this a long time ago.

Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.

That was easier said than done. He didn’t know what to say. His job was to provide physical support. The emotional side was Kai’s jurisdiction. It was part of the system that kept them somewhat sane for the last decade. Now he needed to fill Kai’s role, and that was proving to be difficult. How was he supposed to comfort the one whose job it was to comfort others?

The question followed him to the roof of the warehouse. He’d been surprised when Zane said he found the kid in essentially the same spot they left him. It explained most of how they got into this mess. They must have dragged Baby Jay into the building while Kai was seeing double. The half-concussed Master of Fire was left to chase the shadow of where Baby Jay had been rather than follow the where the real one had gone. The only question now was how they managed to get the drop on a well-trained ninja.

A breaking window signaled the start of the party. As expected, Baby Jay slunk through the office door. Cole watched through the skylight as the kid frantically looked around the room. The desire to swoop in and rescue him before anyone else came was strong. Their charge had been through a lot today. It wasn’t fair to make him suffer more, but he had to stick with the plan.

They needed to find out who was behind this. Zane explained that the Sons of Garmadon weren’t responsible for Baby Jay’s kidnapping. Cole doubted that, and Kai did so a little too loudly. The White Ninja was adamant that someone else was the mastermind. Whatever he found in the time it took them to get across town must have been very convincing.

Rather than bust in and rescue Jay Junior, the White Ninja wanted to try and flush out the real culprit. This time it was Cole that got a little too vocal. He did not like the idea of using the kid as bait. Zane insisted this was their best chance to figure things out. Kai wasn’t on board either, but they reluctantly agreed. Rescuing Baby Jay was important but so was punishing whoever or whatever thought they could get away with this.

That was how Cole ended up on roof, peeking through the skylight. Zane was covering the warehouse entrance from the office side while Kai guarded the back door. Cole never let Baby Jay out of his sight. Plan or no plan he wasn’t going to let anything else happen to the kid today.

What unfolded on the warehouse floor was impressive. The kid did an excellent job of staying out of sight. He had good instincts and a great feel for his surroundings. Five years ago he would have made a great addition to the team.

He had potential. The instincts were there, and so was the nerve. It was hard to believe that the boy who couldn’t meet anyone new without curling into a safety ball could be this cool in the face of danger.

It dawned on Cole that they didn’t know much about their guest. The kid never talked about himself, and nobody ever asked. Maybe he was more skilled than he let on. Hell, he could have been a ninja in his own world. Not as good as them – whoever trained him should be ashamed – but still a ninja.

Even if he wasn’t one before, there’s no reason we can’t make him into one. Is this what Master Wu felt every time he picked one of us up?

Talking to Baby Jay was going on the list right under Kai. Actually, under Kai and Zane. Something was wrong with the Master of Ice. He hadn’t been this cold and emotionless in a long time. Was he struggling as much as Kai? Was this something that had been building under their noses? Both of his brothers needed a pot of tea and a good heart to heart. It was unfortunate that literally nobody else was around to take care of this.

There was a spark on the warehouse floor. Baby Jay was up to something. Cole had been tracking his movements but couldn’t see what was going on. The fidgeting looked like nerves from this height. That was expected from someone fearing for their life, but he was starting to realize it was something different. The kid was building something. He couldn’t tell what, but curiosity was starting to take hold. He was willing to let this play out. If Baby Jay had a card up his sleeve, then he deserved the chance to play it.

Eventually the goons cornered him. The kid made a wrong turn and ended up trapped in one of the aisles close to Kai’s door. Cole couldn’t hear what was going on, but he could see everyone stop in anticipation of something happening.

Happen something did. It was almost too fast for Cole’s eyes to process. One second everyone was standing still, and suddenly one goon was on his back and Baby Jay was on his ass. Everyone that was still conscious sat in stunned silence.

Ha ha! I don’t know what you just did but it worked! Big Jay would be proud!

Baby Jay recovered from the shock first. He turned around and at the push of a button, the other hired gun dove behind one of the shelves. The kid scrambled to his feet and took off towards Kai’s door. Cole had to give Zane a little bit of credit – letting things play out might have been a good call. He was still going to chew him out when they got home.

It was a shame that the back door was locked. The kid earned the high of escaping on his own. He was also kind of glad. It meant he finally got to make an entrance. He signaled Zane to move in and held Kai on standby. The Master of Ice gave an affirmative while the Master of Fire growled. Cole left his comm on the open channel and pulled his hammer. Baby Jay had done a good job making it this far. It was time for them to bring him home.

Cole was angry. Zane understood why. Using Baby Jay to test a hypothesis without the boy’s consent was admittedly a shameful thing to do. It was, however, the correct decision. They collected some valuable data tonight. The Black Ninja would see that when he calmed down.

Kai was moderately depressed. According to Cole that was an improvement. Zane wasn’t sure what had happened to his flamboyant brother. Earlier that week he had been ready to fight a demon invasion with hope and a hastily forged magical weapon. The man currently shut in his room was a sharp departure from that.

Baby Jay was confused. That was to be expected. Zane was a little surprised that the boy wasn’t scared. Yesterday’s events would have been enough to leave most people shaken. The alternate Jay didn’t seem phased at all. In fact, he looked more worried about the others than himself.

A lot had happened in the days spent away from the monastery. Cole and Kai must have had their hands full with Baby Jay and the mysterious assailant. Zane made some good progress in explaining what happened Big Jay, just not nearly enough. There were still no clues on how to retrieve their Jay or send mini-Jay back. It would be good to compare notes with the others. They may be able to offer some insight with whatever information they had come across.

It was partly why he wanted to learn more about the kidnappers. They would be able to shed some light on what was happening in the shadows. Things didn’t work out, but it did reveal new players they hadn’t originally anticipated. These weren’t the run-of-the mill bikers that they had been expecting. Investigating would mean putting the rescue of Big Jay on hold for the time being. He would likely understand.

Meanwhile, Baby Jay was proving to be intriguing. Zane had some suspicions that there was more to the boy than was being shown. It was another reason why he insisted they wait to perform the rescue. It would be very helpful to know what his limitations were. The boy did not disappoint. Testing him further would also have to go on the list of priorities.

Cole’s commentary was why they kept the box. Zane hadn’t seen it in action, but apparently it had saved the child’s life. The box had been a VCR at one point. It looked quite similar to the one Master Wu watched his old karate films on. Baby Jay’s modifications had turned it into a pretty formidable weapon, albeit one with a single charge and painfully long load time. That was beside the point. Crafting it while under duress was incredibly impressive. It was reminiscent of their missing Master of Lightning. It also shouldn’t have worked. It would have required a larger power source to do what Cole said it did.

Zane was pondering the possibilities when the aforementioned Master of Earth walked into the kitchen. It was earlier than he expected anyone to be awake. One look into Cole’s eyes told him that it was planned. Apparently his brother was still upset about last night.

“Good morning, Cole. I hope you slept well,” Zane greeted. Cole didn’t respond, choosing instead to stand in the doorway and glower. It was very reminiscent of Kai whenever someone beat his Lava Zombies high score.

Trying to make conversation with Cole was pointless. The Black Ninja wouldn’t speak until he figured out what to say. No amount of prodding would change that. Instead, Zane started working on breakfast. Might as well make use of the quiet before the fireworks started.

“That was bullshit and you know it.” Zane expected something a little less colorful, but the point was made regardless.

“I understand your frustration,” he started.

“Do you, Zane? Do you? ‘Cause that stunt last night says otherwise. You can’t just use someone to test one of your theories without their permission, let alone a kid! I mean, I thought we were over this. That shit in the warehouse looked more like the old Zane than the brother I know.” The ‘old Zane’ was technically the same as the current one. The bodies might be different, but the ninja inside never changed. At least, that was what Zane believed.

“I understand your frustration, but it was necessary to gather the pertinent data to solve the problem.” Surely Cole could understand that. He was the most rational of the other ninja, after all.

“No Zane. It might have been the easiest way, but there were sure as hell better ones.”

“What would you have suggested? If we do not understand the reason Baby Jay was kidnapped, then how can we hope to stop it from happening again?” That seemed to take the wind out of Cole’s sails a little. The Black Ninja took a seat at the table and started rubbing his eyes. Zane thought he was making a good point. Cole’s reaction, while not as hostile as before, said otherwise. What did he need to say to make it more understandable?

“Look. Zane. Buddy. What’s that thing you say every time you introduce yourself?” Zane knew Cole had heard the introduction a thousand times by now. Why bother asking? The only way to find out was to play along.

“Hello, I am Zane. I was built to protect those that cannot protect themselves.”

“Do you really think letting a teenager get chased by some meatheads is protecting them? Forget about whoever was in charge. Were you, in that moment, protecting someone that couldn’t protect themselves?” Cole asked.

Zane had to admit that he had a point. Figuring out who was behind all of this was inarguably more important, but that didn’t change the fact he had violated his core objective in the process. That revelation stung. It still didn’t change his mind.

“No. I suppose not. Though my intentions were only for the best, it was admittedly a gamble that could have been avoided.”

That must have been what Cole wanted to hear. Zane wasn’t sure why. Baby Jay was never truly in harm’s way. There was a reason everyone had been stationed in those exact positions. The risk was minimal. Completely ensuring the boy’s safety would have meant forgoing the chance to learn.

Any further discussion was cut off by the arrival of the teenager they had been talking about. He took a seat next to Cole and promptly placed his head on the table. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was disheveled. It was like looking at a smaller version of Big Jay.

“Good morning, Baby Jay. I hope you slept well,” Zane greeted. The boy just moaned into the table. That reaction was to be expected from someone that went through his ordeal. It was likely that nightmares had kept him awake.

“You okay buddy? I know yesterday was pretty rough,” Cole said tenderly. It didn’t keep the worry from seeping in at the edges. Baby Jay flapped an arm but otherwise kept his head down. That was more reminiscent of Kai.

“’M fine. Tired,” he mumbled. That was fair. This would have been early for most of the ninja, let alone a teenager. “Cole snores.”

Ah. That explained a lot. Cole frowned and crossed his arms. “Hey! I don’t snore that bad!”

Baby Jay apparently did not agree. Zane didn’t either. There was a reason he turned his audio sensors off when the Black Ninja went to bed.

The trio made small talk while Zane cooked breakfast. Baby Jay spent most of the time needling Cole. The Black Ninja didn’t take it lying down. The more they teased each other the more Zane realized he had missed a lot. Cole and Kai had done an admirable job of getting the boy comfortable. It proved that leaving three days ago was the correct decision.

The Black Ninja was on his third stack of pancakes and the Baby Blue one was midway through his first when it happened. Cole mentioned that Baby Jay liked to ask questions. Zane figured it was a matter of time before he asked the obvious one.

“Should someone go get Kai? I mean, won’t he be mad that we ate without him?” Unlike his counterpart, this one had the decency to swallow before talking. Zane appreciated it – the skill eluded most of his comrades.

“Not if you like having all your fingers. Trying to talk to Flame Brain when he’s like this is a health hazard,” Cole answered. Baby Jay seemed to grow more curious. Zane sincerely hoped he wasn’t about to put that to the test. Everyone learned the hard way not to talk to Kai when he was upset. More often than not it ended with hurt feelings and scorched clothes.

“Seriously. Let him cool off. Kai will come around when he feels better.” Cole was trying to be reassuring. Baby Jay didn’t appear to be buying it. He was understandably worried about their fire-themed comrade. It was interesting. Clearly he was closer to Cole and Kai than Zane originally thought. The Lava Bros did have that effect on people – they could either be your worst enemies or best friends.

“We will need to send for him eventually. I have some findings I wish to share. There is much going on in Ninjago City, and with our temporarily reduced capacity we will need all available hands to manage it.”

Thursday morning came and Cole made it a point to go to Kai first. After everything that happened yesterday it didn’t feel right to let the man stew for too long. When knocking on his door yielded a forceful ‘fuck off, Cole’, he decided to corral Zane instead.

That conversation didn’t go well either. He really didn’t expect to have to fight Zane over the concept of asking for permission. The White Ninja seemed to have lost his empathy somewhere over the last three days. He wasn’t sure they made much progress on finding it either. Zane admitted that what he did was wrong but clearly didn’t care. Seeing him act so robotic was downright frightening.

Cole was starting to feel the pressure. Trying to keep the remnants of the team from self-destructing was stressful. He was a pretty good leader in the field, but this part of the job was not his strong suit.

Baby Jay being alright was a blessing. The kid let yesterday’s disaster slide like water off a duck’s back. He was the one person that Cole had to worry about. That didn’t mean he was getting off the list. It didn’t need to be an emotional talk, but they still had to have a chat just so he could learn something about the boy they had been harboring for four days.

He decided to wait until after breakfast. It gave the kid a chance to wake up – how he made it to breakfast that early was a mystery – and Cole time to calm down. Approaching this with any leftover frustration from dealing with Zane wouldn’t be helpful.

They met in the courtyard that afternoon. Baby Jay was staring at the history mural like it held the answers to everything.

“Hey buddy, whatcha doin’?” Cole asked innocently. The kid nearly jumped out of his gi. Cole barely hid his snicker. The scare was payback for the earlier burn.

“N-not much. Just thinking about yesterday,” he said. Something was bothering him. Just like everyone else. Cole was pretty sure he couldn’t do anything about this one either. Baby Jay – despite the name – was completely new territory. At least there was a road map for dealing with the other two jokers.

That’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? Can’t help the kid if I don’t know anything about him.

“Yeah, sorry about that. We should have been paying more attention. And we should have gotten there sooner.”

“You guys came, that’s all that matters to me,” he said sheepishly. There was an aborted attempt to hide in the fabric again. Cole was starting to recognize that as embarrassment. “I, uh, I don’t know how to thank you guys.”

“You don’t have to. It’s kind of our job. Besides, we like you too much to let someone else have you.”

It was meant to be a joke. The statement appeared to mean the world to the kid though. It looked like he might cry. Cole definitely didn’t know how to deal with that.

Through the watery eyes and half hidden smile, he could see something coming to the surface. It was gone in an instant, but it was eerily similar to something he had seen in Big Jay’s eyes before.

“Hey, uh, I have a question…” Baby Jay started.

Of course you do.

Cole motioned for him to continue. There was plenty of time to ask his own questions today. Letting Baby Jay get one in first wouldn’t hurt.

“What’s this thing?”

The kid was pointing to the seventh picture in the order. The one with the floating islands, flying ship, and four-armed monstrosity that the two love birds refused to talk about. This was something Cole couldn’t answer. Nobody could, except Big Jay and Nya. It was from an adventure only they could remember, and no amount of whining could get them to tell the story.

Baby Jay grimaced when Cole explained the problem. The contemplative look was one he had seen many times before and dammit the kid looked like the original Master of Lightning right now.

“This teapot thing. It’s important.”

“Yeah. If it made the wall, then it’s a big part of Ninjago history,” Cole started. Baby Jay shaking his head cut him off.

“No, I mean, it’s really important. That thing is why I got kidnapped. Something is looking for it, and it wants it really bad.”

A cold wind blew through the courtyard as he said it. Cole had seen and felt enough omens to know that it wasn’t natural. Learning about Baby Jay was going to have to wait – something big was coming.

Chapter Text

Jay didn’t leave his room until noon the next day. Years of ninja training didn’t allow for sleeping in, but he couldn’t bring himself to do more than watch a couple of game shows and a daytime soap opera. Trekking through three districts and parkouring over half the city took a lot of energy. It was only after a cooking segment on the news roused his stomach that he rolled out of bed.

The continental breakfast closed hours ago, so Jay wandered outside in search of food. There were plenty of options for lunch. The motel was in the southern part of Downtown, and the Little Ignacia border wasn’t far. He considered going back to the Artisan district for lunch but decided against it when he saw how low his funds were. Spending cash on a good sandwich wasn’t something he could do right now. Something out of a nearby convenience store would have to be good enough.

Money was a problem again. Beating Unagami supplied enough to prepay for three nights in the motel, and tonight was the last of those. He either needed to find more cash or check out before 11:00 tomorrow morning. Hopefully he could win some at the big Prime Empire competition tomorrow. If that was going to be his answer, then he needed more information. Walking into it blind would only end in disaster.

Learning was going to be tricky. Unagami wouldn’t help, Skee-Ball Kid may or may not be trustworthy, and asking strangers was a risky proposition. Finding a teacher was going to be harder than expected.

Jay kept walking. He didn't have a destination in mind, only the hope that fate would lead him to the right spot. It did, kind of. He ended up at the City Center again. Like any densely populated area, there were advertisements plastered all over the buildings. Giant digital displays installed on the buildings showcased everything from energy drinks to toner cartridges.

He stood on the sidewalk for a few minute and watched them cycle. It was kind of fun to see what people were selling. Scuba gear, hair gel, and industrial strength dish soap were among the highlights. Eventually one for Ninjago Doomsday Games came up. It was just the sign he was looking for. If anyone could catch him up to speed, it was Mother Doomsday.

The outlet wasn’t too far. A twenty-minute walk west, it was about halfway between the City Center and Domu Square. That district was still on the exploration list. It was going to have to wait until later. Research took precedence today.

Rufus McCallister’s store was different and still very much the same. New releases and promotions were at the front. Classics lined the left wall; discounts covered the right. Instead of paperbacks there were CDs and cartridges. Board games replaced box sets. This version might have sold games instead of comics, but the general layout remained unchanged.

Front and center was a display promoting the Prime Empire competition. A large Unagami pop-up was the feature. Seven smaller ones were arranged in a semicircle around it. A banner reading ‘Prime Empire Title Competition – Get Your Tickets Now!’ hung above.

He assumed the cut-outs were the Game Masters. It would have been nice if the names were included, but they were probably so famous that everyone already knew who they were. Jay only recognized two – Unagami and Captain Soto. A century old pirate captain becoming a video game expert was weird but far from the strangest thing he’d ever seen. At least he knew one of his opponents. The other stand-ins were borderline useless - two of them were blank and the other four were complete strangers.

Rufus was in his usual spot, tapping away at a tablet. Jay was 90% sure it was some kind of mobile game rather than work.

“Welcome to Ninjago Doomsday Games. I’m Mother Doomsday, here for all your gaming needs,” Rufus droned. He was too engrossed in his game to pay much attention.

“Hey, I’m looking for some info on the Prime Empire stuff that’s going on this weekend,” Jay replied.

“Interested in the Empire huh? We have intro books for all the categories over there,” he said, pointing to a shelf to the right of the counter. “And tickets for tomorrow’s opening ceremony. We’re also giving away five freebies to the first person that can beat my high score on Master of the Meteor.”

“Master of the Meteor?” Rufus pointed to a pinball machine in the near corner. It looked old but well taken care of. Jay recognized the art style immediately.

They have Starfarer here too?!

The machine was definitely Starfarer themed. A big picture of Fritz Donnegan dominated the headboard. Little asteroids and robots with laser guns decorated the sides. There was also a snake that looked suspiciously like a bleached Pythor skulking in the background.

“For a quarter, you could win an, experience…” Rufus trailed off as he finally acknowledged his customer. Jay could tell he’d been recognized again. Maybe street clothes weren’t the best disguise. “Wait a minute. You’re Ninja Jay! Oh man, what an honor! I was there when you set that Frogger record on Tuesday! Would you sign my poster? This is going to be great for advertising!”

Rufus’ outburst attracted the attention of everyone else in the store. At least this time there were less than a dozen people.

“Ha ha, yeah, sure. Uh, I’ll just sign this and grab one of those intro books…”

“Oh, oh. And a game! One game of Master of the Meteor! Please? It’s my treat. Having a famous gamer like you put their name on the leader board will be great for business!”

Jay wasn’t sure he could afford to waste time playing games today. He really needed to do some research. The more time wasted here was less time spent preparing. On the other hand, one game couldn’t hurt. Plus, it was free. How could he say no to a free game?

“Alright, one game. For the fans,” Jay responded. A cheer went up behind him. Who knew playing games for eleven people felt so good?

Pinball wasn’t one of Jay’s best games. There was only one machine in the junkyard and the right flipper didn’t work. The game was impossible with only half a machine, so he never spent much time on it. This was the first time in years that he tried to play again.

Rufus loaded in the quarter, and the game racked five balls. His high score was 50,000,000 points. The bottom of the leaderboard was 10,345,000. Jay wasn’t interested in beating the man’s high score. The tickets were worthless when he was already invited to the event. He just wanted to get this over with so he could get out there.

The first ball came and went with a minimal score. He might not be great at the game, but failing to get over 100 points was just embarrassing. The second ball was a little bit better. He managed to push his score to 1000. It was still woefully short of Mother Doomsday’s record.

He could see Rufus’ frown reflected in the glass. Murmurs started in the crowd behind him. Whispers about his gameplay started. Some people were wondering how he beat a master like Unagami. Others were talking about how it must have been luck. Someone said he had to have cheated. One got to him more than the others. Someone called him a fraud.

Jay could handle the talk. Living with Cole and Kai had thickened his skin enough that barbs from people on the street never stuck. Someone questioning his skill was one thing that would always get through. He had worked too hard for too long for a stranger to say he wasn’t good enough. From that point on, Jay cared.

There was only so much that effort could do for lack of skill. That was a lesson learned the hard way during those first few weeks of training under Master Wu. He knew the first step to improvement was acknowledging a weakness, and right now that weakness was a lack of knowledge Not understanding how the game worked was killing him. Solve that problem and everything else would fall into place.

The third ball was much better than the first two. Jay ran his score up to 10,000 before losing it. More importantly, he learned how the scoring worked. Multipliers were more important than just hitting things. It was a lot easier to rack up points after the epiphany.

The fourth ball taught him about geometry and topography. The game was all about angles and timing shots correctly. Pinball wasn’t random. The machine was set up in a specific way. Being able to read the board and properly time shots to boost the multiplier was key. That understanding helped him reach a 1,200,000 total.

The fifth ball was where he learned about objectives. There was a little card on the side of the machine. He thought it was just the rules, but there ended up being a lot more. The paper outlined specific objectives that, when completed, would lead to massive points. With a new understanding of how the game worked, Jay tried one. The third on the list had already been partially completed through the first four balls. Finishing it was simple and unlocked a surprise – multiball mode. The chaos surprised him. Most of the balls were wasted, but it was good to know for future games.

He didn’t make it on the leader board. His final score was just short of 10,000,000. He could see Mother Doomsday’s disappointment in the glass. The crowd clapped a little at the effort before starting to disperse. Jay wasn’t satisfied though. He knew he could do better.

“WAIT!” he yelled. The small gathering stopped. Rufus quirked an eyebrow. Jay stepped back, cracked his knuckles once, then returned to the controls. “That was just the warmup. I still have a quarter. Get those tickets Mother Doomsday, ‘cause I’m taking them home with me.”

It was a little passed 15:00 when Jay left the game store. Word must have gotten out that he was there because the crowd tripled by the time he was done with the second game. Luckily that was the good one. Having that many people watch him flounder would have been mortifying.

Even though Jay now knew how the game worked, beating the record was still hard. Rufus was a worthy opponent, but ninja training was undefeated when it came to sharpening reflexes. Jay could hang with anyone in a game that relied on coordination and precision.

He ended up hitting 50,010,000 points when the fifth ball drained. The last few thousand points needed to break the record came in at the very end of his game. The crowd ate it up. No one was happier than Mother Doomsday. There hadn’t been that many people in the store since Fist to Face II was released.

Jay was reading a Prime Empire pamphlet as he rode the bus to Domu Square. Rufus threw it in with the tickets as a bonus. It was mostly about the events tomorrow. Unagami was going to be there, of course. It looked like the only other Game Master that RSVP’d was Captain Soto. There wasn’t any information about the two mystery masters. The other four were only mentioned by title.

The ceremony was supposed to be an introduction to the competition. Invitations to every member of the Empire were going to be delivered tonight. Tickets for the general public went on sale earlier that day. Jay realized that beating the score might have been important after all – he wasn’t sure how anyone was going to find him to deliver the invitation.

There were enough events scheduled to fill the whole day. Unagami was going to give a speech at noon to formally get things started, then there was going to be a bunch of booths and a concert for the competitors and attendees. Many of the artisans he’d seen in Little Ignacia were going to be there. Four Weapons even had a booth.

Jay thought concert sounded interesting. The Royal Blacksmiths were the opening act. Someone named Lady Lightning was going to be the headliner. He had never heard of her, but seeing Lou's quartet do their thing would be nice.

I wonder if he got Cole in the family business here.

The bus stopped at the doorstep of Ninjago City Library. Mother Doomsday had been too swamped after the second pinball game to talk, but he said the library in Domu would be able to answer any questions. Hopefully that was true. Today would be a major bust if all Jay got out of it was tomorrow’s itinerary.

Every district had its own specialty. Domu Square appeared to be reserved for academics. Besides the library, Jay saw signs for a museum, an art gallery, and a robotics research center. It made the region a one stop shop for all knowledge needs.

The library was very neatly organized. Jay almost didn’t need the librarian to point him in the right direction. Prime Empire even had its own section. He grabbed a couple of books at random and started reading. It didn’t take long to realize something was wrong. Both texts were very informative about the history of the Empire but said nothing about the last fifteen years. Much like the scrolls in the monastery library, that chunk of information was missing.

He thought maybe he just got an unlucky draw. Pulling two more gave the same results. There was a lot about the old Game Masters and nothing about the new ones. Asking the librarian was useless too – he was just as confused as Jay was. The collection was complete according to the library records. Nobody had requested a Prime Empire book before today either.

At least he learned more about the background. It sounded vaguely like what had happened with the original Elemental Masters. It was cool trivia, but probably useless. The missing years were disturbing though. It was like they had been completely erased from history.

The library was a dead end. Jay was prepared to go back to his motel room and crash when something caught his eye. A familiar ratty green hoodie was ghosted around a corner across the street.

What are you doing here?

What Ski-Ball Kid did in his free time was none of Jay’s business, but he couldn’t shake the feeling this meeting wasn’t a coincidence. The tingling in the back of neck told him to follow, so that’s what he did.

Just like at the arcade, the teenager was scary good at appearing and disappearing. Jay was having a hard time keeping up, and that was without trying to be sneaky.

Ski-Ball Kid led him deeper into Domu. They passed Ninjago City University, Ninjago City Music Hall, and a bookstore having a sale on teen romance novels. Jay was tempted to stop at the last one and see if they had any material he could feed Zane. It was really funny when he pulled the fanfiction trick on his own nindroid. It would be even better if he could do it to one that didn’t have two tech geniuses to undo everything.

Pranks later, creepy teenager that may or may not be leading you into a trap first.

The chase ended when this target ducked into a high school. Jay was about to follow when something stopped him in his tracks. The Earth Ninja was hanging out on the front steps. It was the first time he’d seen Cole out of uniform since landing in this world.

Mini-Brookstone Junior looked a lot like the proper Master of Earth. They were both half a foot taller than him, they both had black hair and milk chocolate eyes, and they were both stacked. Being built like a brick wall was a feature that must transcend dimensional boundaries. They both shared the aversion to sleeves too. One thing was for sure – he wasn’t a part of his dad’s dance troupe.

Jay really wished he had a camera right now. Snapping a picture of Slightly Smaller Cole in a cut up band tee and jeans would be great for tormenting the slightly bigger one.

This world’s ninja must still be in school. The one nodding along to whatever was playing in his headphones couldn’t have been more than 16. That was a little disheartening. Objectively Jay knew that this version of his brothers were warriors. There had been a faint hope that they got to grow up first. It was also a whole lot easier to ask someone for help when they were legally allowed to drink.

He ducked behind a building before Cole saw him. He didn’t have any plans to interact with the Secret Ninja Force. It would be better for everyone if they never met. There would only be questions and confusion on their part if he tried to introduce himself, and for him, the heartache of the ones he loved not knowing him would be too much. He fought not to fall apart every hour of the day. That interaction would be enough to break him.

Cole’s presence presented a problem. Jay needed to get into the school and the teenage version of his cake-loving brother didn’t look like he planned on moving anytime soon. Sneaking by him wouldn’t be easy. The grounds were mostly clear aside from some empty bike racks. Any attempts at approach would pass through his field of vision, and Jay knew he was too famous to pass by without attracting attention.

A ground approach was impossible, so Jay decided to get high. Cole was probably too distracted to look up. If Jay could get on the roof, he could probably get in through the second story.

Jay climbed the building he was hiding behind with the hopes of finding something useful. Commercialism saved him again. A banner announcing a new dinosaur exhibit at the museum connected his building with the high school. After a quick change into the black gi – thank goodness he had the foresight to bring it this time – Jay scurried across the line. Another dash over the roof ridge and a front handspring through an open window granted him access to his destination.

The last move proved to be a mistake. He couldn’t see the landing zone and ended up planting his feet in a bucket. It was one of the pail and ringer combinations that janitors used, and this one didn’t have the wheels locked. The momentum sent him and the soapy chariot skidding across the room. He overcorrected while trying to regain his balance and ended up on the floor. Dirty water pooled around the crash site and soaked the gi.

Great. Now I really need to wash this.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Knocking over the bucket must have alerted someone. Jay knew he needed to hide. Getting caught would be bad. Getting caught looking like this would be embarrassing. The room unfortunately didn’t have any good places to hide. It was a computer lab, and there wasn’t so much as a cabinet to duck into.

Going back out the window was an option, but it was likely whoever entered the room would shut it. Trailing Ski-Ball Kid would be hard if he got locked out of the building. Trying to sneak by whoever came in was another. Being a master ninja was a lot tougher with squeaky shoes though. That left the third option…

A custodian was the unlucky soul to enter. Jay didn’t give him a chance to survey the room – the guy was sucked into a tornado the second he crossed the threshold. The twister sent him spinning through the puddle and into the opposite wall. The unconscious maintenance man ended up spread eagle next to the bucket.

Anyone that came in would probably think he slipped. Explaining why there was water splashed everywhere would be a challenge, but that wasn’t Jay’s problem right now. He did note that the three nearest computers were fried. Sparks were still popping from one. He had seen enough shorted out electronics to recognize a power surge – especially when it was his lightning that cause it.

That’s weird. I haven’t been able to channel my element since the Oni fight.

He made a mental note to look into it later. Skee-Ball Kid was still on the loose. In fact, he could see the green-shirted gremlin creeping around a corner in the hallway.

After a quick check to make sure the janitor was still breathing, Jay darted into the hallway. Thankfully his Spinjitzu also dried the gi and tabi. Ninjaing around was a lot more difficult with squishy shoes.

Skee-Ball Kid disappeared for the last time when Jay rounded a corner on the first floor. It was a dead end, and only one door was open. Light flickered inside. A pretty colorful string of curses emanated from the entryway.

He nudged the door open, expecting to see the magical disappearing teenager. A more normal yet no less special one was there instead.

The room was some kind of metal shop. Half-finished metalworks were laid out on the tables around the room. There was another door on the right adjacent wall that he assumed led to the teacher’s office. Aprons and goggles were hung on hooks between the two entrances. Alcoves with welding equipment dotted the right wall. Steel sheets were piled against the left one. A set of gas tanks were strapped next to a garage door at the back. Grinding wheels and whetstones lined the far wall. A rotating tower for tools sat in the corner.

Kai was stationed at one of the whetstones. Jay knew who it was before crossing the threshold. The tapestry of profanity that was flowing into the hall could have only been woven by one person. Besides, the hair was a dead giveaway.

Entering was a bad idea. Jay found he couldn’t help himself though. Talking with them was out of the question – on top of the previously mentioned reasons, the age gap was going to make things weird – but he was homesick. Being in the same room eased it, even if the proximity was a major test of willpower.

The Fire Ninja was so involved in his project that he didn’t hear Jay creep behind one of the piles of sheet metal. It was stacked in such a way that Jay could see Kai working without being spotted by anyone entering the room behind him.

For the next hour, he just sat there. He watched the sweat soak the back of Kai’s tee shirt. He listened to the undercooked Master of Fire swear up a storm that would make the elder version proud. He smelled the metallic tang of sparks and iron dust suspended into the air. It felt so much like watching his Kai work in the forge at the monastery.

The memory was a sobering reminder of the job that had to be done. He didn’t have time to fool around with the copies of his brothers. The real ones were waiting for him at home.

He was preparing to sneak out when the fire alarm went off. The siren startled Kai into dropping whatever he’d been sharpening. Metal clanged against stone and concrete as the teenager invented some new words that only a blacksmith could come up with.

“What is that noise? Smith? Karlof told you to be careful!” A burly older man with a greying beard and hard hat bustled into the room from the other door.

Of course Karlof is a metal shop teacher. I wonder if he’s trying to build a Roto Jet in here too.

“Wasn’t me Mr. Karlof. I’ve been at the wheel the whole time,” Kai replied.

“Bah! Karlof can’t work with this! It reminds him of air raid sirens back in Metalonia. Karlof used to be pilot you know. Fly Roto Jet into battle against Shark Army…”

Kai visibly deflated as the alternate Master of Metal launched into a story that the kid had probably heard a thousand times. Jay didn’t want to listen to it either, but there was no way around Karlof. They were both going to be stuck listening to war stories they didn’t care about.

A thud from the welding area interrupted him. Both Karlof and Kai turned their heads. Jay was about to make his escape when he saw what they were looking at. Something had unlatched the gas canisters, and one of them was wobbling precariously.

Compressed gas canisters were incredibly dangerous. Jay’s dad had given him the rundown when he was first old enough to hold a blowtorch. It was imperative to make sure they were secured to something at all times and that a cap was on if they weren’t being used. Capped canisters were heavy objects that could break a leg if dropped. Uncapped ones were rockets that could take a leg if they landed right.

Everyone knew that a disaster was about to take place. The tank was about to fall, and there was no way Kai or Karlof would be able to get out of the way if it went missile mode. Jay couldn’t let that happen, so the only thing left to do was blow his cover.

“Ninja gooo!” he shouted before whipping into another twister. He rounded up the two civilians and made for the door. The acetylene tank crashed to the ground and immediately launched towards where they had been standing. Jay tore down the hallway with his unwitting passengers before eventually dumping them on the front steps. He breezed by Cole and spun around the corner of the same building he had been hiding behind earlier.

Climbing to the roof again gave a good look at the aftermath. The gas tank had torn a noticeable hole in the front of the school. A line of fire traced its path, showing that it not only crossed the street but also entered the building he was standing on. Kai and Karlof were still dizzy from the impromptu Merry-Go-Round ride. Cole was going around the same corner Jay had spun around when another bang sounded from the school. A second canister soared into the afternoon sky. This one tore a hole in the roof on the opposite side of the building. A third container rocketed out of the window of a second story room.

A fourth blew a hole in the front facing first floor wall. It missed the people gawking outside, but the nearby fire hydrant wasn't so lucky. The tank hit it hard enough to pop the top and send a jet of water into the air. Chaos took over from there. The collision and resulting fountain sent the projectile spinning upwards. Like a balloon rapidly losing air, it zigzagged through the sky with no apparent destination in mind. Eventually it arced back towards the school and burrowed through the roof. A resounding boom meant it must have found its final destination.

Well, that’s not good.

Jay knew it was time to go. The police and fire department would be showing up soon and it was probably best that he wasn’t there when that happened. He went to pick up his backpack and found that it had been tampered with. The immediate concern was that someone had found not only the bag but also his street clothes and the Nunchucks of Lightning stuffed inside. Losing any of that would be a nightmare.

Rather than being robbed, whoever found it left something. A large manilla envelope was tucked into the big pocket. ‘Prime Empire Credentials’ had been stamped on the front. It was a little worrying that someone had found his stuff but there wasn't time to worry about it - the sirens in the distance were getting closer.

Before taking off, Jay had one more thing to do. Cole had rejoined Kai and Karlof in front of the building. All three were watching smoke rise from the school's freshly installed skylights and windows. None of them were watching, so he whipped into a tornado and spun past them one more time.

The sentient lightning vortex caught them off guard. Kai jumped into the geyser's splash zone and got an impromptu shower. Karloff lost his balance and stumbled forward. Cole didn’t move, but his eyes got wide as the twister swirled passed. On the way by, Jay shoved the tickets he won earlier that afternoon into the Earth Ninja’s hands. It would be better to give them to his family's doppelgangers than let them go to waste.

He came to a stop around a corner a block away. Making a quick change in a dark corner of an empty park let Jay pass as a regular guy again. A fire truck roared by soon after. Two police cars were hot on its heels, along with an ambulance and news van.

Yep. Definitely don’t need to be involved in that.

Jay pulled the string on his hoodie and started back towards the motel. Something weird happened in the school. He was positive the canisters had been capped and secured when he snuck in the metal shop. Kai never moved from the grindstone and Karlof didn’t get close to them. Jay had been on the other side of the room. If none of them sabotaged the tanks, then who did?

Chapter Text

Cole really wished Jay was here. Not just for the extra hands, but also because their resident lightning bug was probably the only one that knew what the hell was going on.

Some teapot in the history mural being the reason Baby Jay was kidnapped raised more questions than it answered. Who was looking for it? Why was it so special? Why did they think Jay – the man who couldn’t remember where he left his toothbrush most mornings – knew where it was? If Blue Bell did know, why didn’t he tell any of them about it?

The easy answer was it had something to do with the missing adventure that only the Masters of Lightning and Water remembered. Seeing as neither of them were around, it was also the least convenient one. Nothing could be done about it now. Answers would have to wait until one of them returned.

Meanwhile, other problems were starting to pile up. It was more than Cole could deal with on his own, so he turned to their resident organization expert. Zane might be acting a little weird, but the nindroid would still be the best person to sort their problems into neat and orderly piles.

Complex as that was, Zane had the easy task. Rounding everybody up was going to be a lot harder and a lot more dangerous. Baby Jay was mercifully easy to corral – the promise of a story and some reading material sent him tearing into the library. Wrangling Kai, however, was like pulling teeth. Cole had to beg, plead, and eventually threaten before the Red Ninja opened his door. He expected his brother to come out like a feral cat. Instead, the Master of Fire looked more like a kitten that got caught in the rain.

“…Team meeting in ten. We have to talk about stuff,” Cole said as he took in Kai’s appearance. His normally bright cherry eyes were a dull red. Heavy bags emphasized the dark shadows around them. Hair that usually resembled a blazing campfire lay limp across his forehead. A wrinkled red tank top was half tucked into a pair of sweats. The man looked like hell, but it could have been worse – at least he put clothes on this time.

Cole had to pull him out of this spiral before it was too late. Throwing a self-destructing fire elemental on top of all the other bullshit would be too much for him to handle. This was so far out of his comfort zone though that he didn’t know where to start.

Where are Lloyd and Master Wu when you need them?

“Yeah, ‘cause that worked so well the last time. You and Zane figure shit out and find me when you’re done. Not like you need me to help make more mistakes.” Kai snarked. The attitude wasn’t appreciated, but Cole would take it over the alternative. Things must be getting better if Kai felt okay enough to be an ass.

“Come on Kai, please? You know how Zane is – he won’t start until you show up.” Kai considered it for a long minute before heaving a heavy sigh. He must have decided arguing wasn’t worth the effort.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s this over with.”

Zane was putting the finishing touches on his presentation when they walked in. Baby Jay was sitting cross-legged on a mediation mat. The boy was nose deep in one of Nya’s engineering texts. Interest in tech things that went way over Cole’s head was going on the list of similarities.

Cole knew things were going to get complicated when he saw Zane’s set up. The nindroid had a habit of going old school whenever things got messy. Slideshows and video presentations meant things were going to be easy. Blackboards and slide projectors were good signs that someone was going to need to break out the headache medication.

This was somewhere in the middle. Jay and Zane’s Conspiracy Tracker Central – or CTC for short – was an old corkboard that the Blue Ninja dug up in his parent’s junkyard. Team Techno used it to help with their more elaborate cold cases until Lloyd borrowed the prop to organize an ill-fated chupacabra hunt. It had been used to map unexplainable happenings ever since.

It started out nice and orderly. The three present ninja plus Pixal and Baby Jay had note cards pinned to the left side of the board. Lloyd and Nya, along with Master Wu and Misako, had their names tacked to the right. Pictures of the Sons of Garmadon, a guy in a cat suit, and a plume of smoke were suspended at the top. Three cards labeled ‘Shintaro Party’, ‘Karate Tournament’, and ‘Factory Dedication’ were posted to the bottom. A picture of Big Jay and the Nunchuks of Lightning had been stuck in the middle.

“Hello all, and welcome to the State of the Realm presentation. I realize this is on short notice, but Cole and I believed it necessary considering the circumstances,” Zane started. Kai scoffed from the corner, but the nindroid didn’t seem to care. “As you know, we have a visitor staying with us. Welcome Baby Jay.”

“Get to the point Zane,” Kai spat. Cole shot him a warning glare. The Red Ninja returned it but settled down nonetheless.

“As you know, there are many disturbances currently plaguing Ninjago City. The Sons of Garmadon are causing trouble, there is a mysterious burglar committing grand larceny in the night, and whatever kidnapped Baby Jay has taken up residence at the docks.” He pointed to three pictures lining the top of the board in succession.

“We also must find a way to a way to retrieve Big Jay from Baby Jay’s world.” This time he tapped the photo of Jay in the center. “And attend to the personal commitments that are coming in the next several days.”

That explained the notes at the bottom. Cole knew about the party. The karate tournament and factory dedication must have belonged to Kai and Zane.

“Question,” Baby Jay said while raising his hand. Zane nodded as an invitation to continue. “How do you know Big Jay is stuck in my world?”

“Pixal and I have been running simulations with the data we have from the day of his disappearance. While we are unsure of the exact mechanism, we are quite confident that you both passed through the same vortex that afternoon. There is much evidence…”

“…That we can get into after dinner…” Cole interrupted.

“…that is not appropriate for this forum. I would be happy to discuss it with you after dinner.” Baby Jay looked like a kid in a candy store at the offer. Cole wasn’t about to try to understand why. Listening to Zane talk about science was almost as boring as listening to Lloyd go over strategy.

It must be a Jay thing.

“Each of these events requires our attention. At our current capacity, I see no way we can handle all of them at the same time without dividing our focus. Cole, I know you have reservations about this,” Zane started.

Understatement of the year, Tin Man.

“But we need to gather more information. This is the most efficient way to do so and will allow us to more effectively combat these issues in the future.”

Cole wasn’t going to argue. There had been enough verbal warfare for one day. Besides, Zane was right. Splitting up was unavoidable if they wanted to address everything. Ignoring that reality wasn’t going to help anyone.

“To start, we need to discuss what should take the highest priority. Our personal engagements have fixed dates, but the investigations into the gang activity, kidnappers, mystery thief, and Jay can be conducted in any order.” Zane pulled a ball of blue string from somewhere and started looping it around the tack holding his picture in place. He connected it to the factory card and the bottom, then did the same for the other ninja and their events.

“Four problems and three ninja to handle them. Great. Something is going to have to get sidelined,” Kai noted. Zane nodded before pulling out another stack of notecards and more tacks.

“Actually, there are five problems and three ninja. Big Jay and Baby Jay are closely related but distinctly different issues.” Zane pinned a picture of Baby Jay half asleep in his breakfast next to the one of Big Jay. Kai barked a singular ‘ha’ while the object of the conversation tried to hide in his gi.

“Even better. How the fuck are we supposed to cover all of this?”

“Um, I think Kai might have been right the first time,” Baby Jay interjected. Kai quirked an eyebrow but nonetheless looked pleased that someone thought he was right. Zane mirrored the expression. Cole could tell it was more out of curiosity as to why someone thought he might be wrong. “The, uh, Sons of Garmadon? I think, um, that they might be related to the other guys. Somehow.”

“Go on,” Kai and Zane said in unison. Emboldened by the encouragement, Baby Jay sat up a little bit straighter.

“The rooftop at the docks. No way they were just waiting for us in there. That shadow thing said it had plans. I-I don’t think it would have gambled on us just happening to stand on that specific rooftop. It had to know we were going to be there.”

“How? We didn’t even know we were going to be there until that morning,” Cole replied. The whole thing being an ambush had already crossed his mind. There were too many coincidences for it to be random. There were also too many holes in the idea for it to be anything else.

“It is a possibility, but I believe we need more information before we can say they are truly connected. For Baby Jay’s protection, I believe this is where we should start. It is likely that whoever or whatever absconded with him the first time may attempt to do so again,” Zane said.

Nice of you to put the kid’s safety first now…

“So we’re going after the kidnappers first? What about our Double Jay problem? Are we really going to push that to the side?” Kai questioned.

“I am afraid we will have to for the moment. Pixal and I have made some progress on discovering how the two Jays might have been displaced, but that line of inquiry has been exhausted. We require more information before continuing with that investigation. In the meantime, it would be more prudent to work on our other issues,” Zane answered.

That wasn’t the whole story. There was something in there that the nindroid wanted to keep a secret. Cole wasn’t sure why. It would be a lot easier to plan things out if they put all their information on the table. Zane had to know that. There must have been a reason, but Cole wasn’t sure it was a good one.

Kai wasn’t buying it either. Cole could see the Red Ninja’s eyes narrow from across the room. He must have come to the same conclusion. Maybe the two of them could get to the bottom of it together. Collaborating against the White Ninja didn’t feel right, but any kind of teamwork would be good right now.

Zane pulled a coil of red string from somewhere, oblivious to what was going on behind him. He used it to connect Baby Jay’s picture to his kidnappers, then continued the thread and looped it around the Sons of Garmadon tack. “Assuming these are indeed connected, I suggest we approach it from both ends. Pixal and I can investigate the warehouse where Baby Jay was held hostage. There may still be something of interest there. Cole and Kai, I suggest you pay the Sons of Garmadon a more direct visit this time. Your previous approach might have led you to their leadership, but I believe there may also be value in conversing with the foot soldiers as well.”

The implied promise of violence got Kai’s attention. A dangerous smile made its way onto the Red Ninja’s face as he cracked his knuckles. “I can get behind some head bashing. It’s been a while since we got to cut loose.”

“We fought the Oni, like, four days ago,” Cole countered.

“Yeah, but they didn’t bleed.”

“Anyway…” Zane interrupted. He replaced the red string with a coil of black thread and used it to tie his name to Pixal’s card before pairing up Cole and Kai’s. “There still in the matter of the Mystery Thief and our commitments.”

Cole had no idea what they were going to do with the first one. A serial burglar was something they would have sent Kai and Jay to deal with, but that team was M.I.A. both mentally and physically. He voiced that opinion, and everyone agreed.

“And as far as the other stuff goes, I’m not going to the tournament. There’s too much other shit to deal with.” Cole was a little surprised. He didn’t have all the details, but that sounded right up Fire Fist’s alley. Missing it was going to hurt, especially if he and Zane were taking time away to do their own things.

“I think you should go,” Baby Jay whispered. It was quiet, and Cole would have missed it if he wasn’t standing directly behind the kid. Kai’s raised eyebrows meant he somehow heard it too. Baby Jay looked like he wanted to turtle again but mustered the courage to continue. “I-I mean. It sounds like a lot of fun, a-and…”

“You want to go too,” Kai finished. A much softer smile pulled at his lips this time. Baby Jay nodded a couple of times before becoming very interested in a frayed edge of the mat.

“I also think your attendance would be a good idea. It is important, especially now, that we make ourselves visible to the public,” Zane added.

Kai wasn’t one to cave to peer pressure, but it was obvious he wanted to go. His pride demanded a show of defiance, but the Red Ninja caved too fast for it to be real resistance. Cole was glad. An afternoon in the dojo might be what his brother needed to sort himself out.

Baby Jay’s interest was surprising. The kid didn’t look like he would have any interest in fighting. If any, he was someone that probably tried to avoid it. Yesterday’s debacle must have convinced him that taking a few self-defense lessons would be worthwhile.

“Hey kid, if you want us to show you some moves, all you have to do is ask,” Cole said gently.

“Teaching Baby Jay how to defend himself would be prudent if you are to take him with you when you visit the Sons of Garmadon,” Zane added.

Baby Jay looked uneasy but accepted the offer nonetheless. Teeth returned to Kai’s smile. So did the usual flame. Cole watched his eyes visibly brighten as the vibrant cherry color returned to his irises. This was the happiest he’d seen the man in months.

“Training Baby Jay? Oh hell yeah! Come on little guy, let’s get you some padding!” The kid yelped as Kai practically dragged him out of the room.

Zane continued tying strings to the board after the pair left. Black strings linked names, red strings connected events, and white strings tied names to events. The once easy to read board was now a spiderweb of colors. Cole was pretty sure it was going to get messier before this was over.

The idea of training their Probably Temporary Jay Replacement didn’t sit well. It was one thing if he wanted to learn, but Cole didn’t get the feeling that was the case. People who were excited about something didn’t have that much fear in their eyes. No, this was Baby Jay doing it because he thought he had to. It felt too much like what happened with Lloyd. It felt too much like there wasn’t a choice.

Did anyone give you a choice? A real one?

Cole was acutely aware that the same thing happened to all of them. The Core Four might not have been forced into this life but turning it down had never really been an option either. Baby Jay had a different path, but the destination was going to be the same. He had too much potential for fate to allow anything different.

He didn’t know what was waiting for the kid in his home world. If Motormouth really was there then the answer was probably chaos. The thought of sending the small version into whatever mess Big Jay managed to create made Cole sick.

Is this what Master Wu feels like every time we run off on a mission?

Probably. This looked really similar to a lot of their adventures. The only difference was now they were on the other side of the mentor-mentee relationship. That should have been terrifying but acknowledging it helped put Cole’s mind at ease. Eventually they were going to have to say goodbye to the kid. He would have to fly solo at some point, but their teachings would make sure he never had to fly alone.

“Breathe in and roll your shoulders back. When you’re ready, breathe out and bend forward to touch the ground in front of your toes. Alright, that’s good. Next, breathe in, shift your left foot back, bend your right knee, and lower into a lunge. Hold there. Feel the tension in your legs. When you’re ready, breathe out and pull your left foot to the front as you rise back into a standing pose.”

Sunrise stretches were one of Kai’s favorite parts of the day. They were even better when he didn’t have to do them.

They had a meeting after dinner last night to discuss how this was going to work. Ultimately they decided to separate training duties into three parts. Cole would handle strength and conditioning, Kai was in charge of the basics of karate, and Zane would take the non-combat ninjitsu skills. Kai won the rock paper scissors match for the first session, so he was also in charge of the morning warm up routine today.

Saying he was excited was an understatement. Kai was well aware that he didn’t bring all that much to the team. Jay and Nya were the group’s creative backbone – they always had some project in the works that would be totally awesome when finished. Zane was the smart one that knew everything and was always two steps ahead of everyone else. He was also the only one that could cook worth a damn. Lloyd was Lloyd. The Green Ninja was the team leader and one they were supposed to protect. Cole’s physical strength spoke for itself, but his perspective often went unnoticed. He was the steady hand that kept things from going sideways.

Kai didn’t have the engineering talent of Jay and Nya, or the raw intelligence of Zane, or Cole’s levelheadedness, or Lloyd’s wisdom. His job was to show up and hit things. There was a time when it made him feel inadequate. He kept it under wraps until Zane died. Then they became the fuel for a breakdown that almost cost him his life.

He owed a lot to Sensei Garmadon. Lloyd might have rescued him from the underground fighting ring, but the reformed warlord deserved the credit for straightening him out. There was a lot of time to talk between fights when they were on Chen’s Island. It was obvious to someone that had already tread a dark path when another was about to fall into the same pit. He made it a point to get Kai back on the right path after the incident with the Karlof and the Jade Blade.

He started taking the martial arts more seriously after the Corridor of Elders. If punching shit was going to be his only contribution, then he was going to be damn good at it. Honing that one skill into a razor sharp, ultra reliable tool helped compensate for the fact that he didn’t do anything else. It was also a small testament to Good Garmadon. Being the best he could be was a silent thank you to the man that started his healing process.

Morro threatened to upend everything when he possessed Lloyd. Cole getting turned into a ghost was nearly a kill shot. Kai could have drowned in his own misery, but that would have meant giving up on Lloyd. The Green Ninja was there when Kai was at his lowest, so the Red Ninja was going to be there when Lloyd needed him the most. It sparked a new fire, one that cauterized the internal wounds instead of the external ones.

All of that progress stopped when the Hands of Time showed up. Finding out his parents were still alive was emotionally taxing. Going through Hell and losing Master Wu at the end was something he couldn’t handle. The saying that time healed all wounds was bullshit – it only made his worse.

He never recovered from that adventure. It was a lesson in futility that taught him his best was never going to be good enough. It was a lesson he couldn’t accept. Like Morro before him, Kai couldn’t live with what Destiny was trying to tell him. It fueled an inner turmoil that threatened to consume him every time the sun came up.

The best and worst trait about Kai was that he was a stubborn bastard. His emotions got the best of him when Zane was destroyed, but he was bound and determined not to let that happen again. He needed an outlet, and he found one in his fire. The element responded to strong emotions, and Kai was always full of them these days. Funneling them into the flames was easy. Add a few false faces and some canned laughter and it looked like the Master of Fire was a normal-ish person.

“Find a sitting position. Take a deep breath. Stretch your right leg out and let your left foot rest against your inner right thigh. Nice. Now, breathe out and fold over forward. Go until you feel a pull on your lower back, but not so far that it hurts. Bend your knee if your hamstrings start to tighten up. Hold there and breathe deeply.”

Kai knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Baby Jay could be a really good ninja someday – he knew potential when he saw it – but combat was never going to be a strong suit. The kid didn’t have the aggression. Or flexibility. Or stamina. Two of those they could – and would – fix, but the heart that made a good warrior wasn’t one of them. He was going to have to discover that on his own.

He was determined to mold the kid into an adequate fighter though. That was his mission, and he would accomplish it come hell or high water. It helped that he wasn’t starting entirely from scratch. Someone else had already started laying the groundwork. They just had to build on it.

There was still a lot of work to be done though. Cole was going to have his work cut out for him on the strength and conditioning front. Kai was sure the martial arts skills were as raw as one of the Black Ninja’s steaks, too. That wasn’t a bad thing – it was easier to create good habits than break bad ones – but still less than ideal.

“Alright, take a deep breath and return to a sitting position. Switch legs, then exhale and fold over again, just like before.”

They weren’t going to start real training today. Cole needed a baseline before designing the lifting program and Zane was going to be busy in the city. Kai needed to figure out where to start. Throwing the entire kihon at the kid would be overkill. Focusing on a few of the basics would be a lot more helpful.

He was determined to not make the same mistakes with Baby Jay that they did with Lloyd. That mess of a training program was the perfect example of what not to do with a new student. Things only worked out because the Little Green Gremlin was the Chosen One and they literally couldn’t fuck things up unless he died. That – for obvious reasons – wasn’t going to work here.

Their first crack at teaching was a disaster because they had no idea what the fuck they were doing. Never mind throwing more at Lloyd than his eight-year-old self could handle, they each tried to teach the same thing in wildly different ways. The overlapping and usually conflicting instruction left a lot of gaps in knowledge and confusion in fundamentals. They went back and patched a lot of holes after the Second Final Battle, but to this day they were still trying to fix things they messed up.

“Take a deep breath in and return to a sitting position. Spread your legs and arms, then slowly let that breath out while you lean onto your back. Let everything relax. Breathe easy, clearly your mind, and become one with the world around you.”

He asked Master Wu why they were put in charge of Lloyd’s training once. It seemed like it would have been better for an actual Spinjitzu Master to be teaching the savior of the realm instead of four barely competent teenagers that weren’t legally allowed to drive.

It was as much about your training as it was Lloyd’s. I could have stepped in and taken over the duties myself, but it would have been to the detriment of everyone involved.

Kai thought it was a cop out at the time. There was no way they were better options than the son of the First Spinjitzu Master. Now, having watched Baby Jay struggle through the morning stretches, he understood the wisdom. Sensei rarely gave a straight answer to anything, but his teachings always made sense when they needed to.

Chapter Text

Lloyd had the dream again.

He’d never actually stopped having it. Every night for the last week he got to watch the smudges fight the demons. Every night he got to watch the smudges retreat. Every night he got to watch the golden tornado blast the demons into lands unknown and him into consciousness. The whole thing was so far beyond old it wasn’t funny.

At least this time something was different. The same scene played out, but the red and black splashes looked a little less abstract. It was hard to tell, but it looked like arms and legs were starting to come into focus. The language was still obscured, but progress was progress.

Red and Black were the only two affected. The other colors were as blurry as ever. That raised more questions that didn’t have answers. It also made it more annoying the Uncle Wu chose to play hide and seek instead of sticking around to offer sage words of advice. Lloyd would even take a cryptic message that sounded like it came from a fortune cookie at this point.

He wasn’t going to let it bother him. Not today. Today was Prime Empire Day, and he was going with his friends to see celebrities and eat fried food and hopefully not get harassed too badly. Weird dreams that didn’t make sense were not going to spoil his fun.

Following a quick hug and kiss with his mom and the usual lecture about safety, he ran rooftops into Little Ignacia. Kai and Nya met him at the border so they could take the 09:00 bus to Domu Square. Nya spent the entire ride trying to convince them something was up with Ninja Jay. Lloyd wasn’t going to pass judgement without talking with the guy first. He had too much experience being on the other side of that to know it wasn’t fair. Kai wasn’t buying it either. Rather than politely listen to the argument, he chose to tease her. Lloyd knew Kai was playing with fire – if Nya turned out to be right, she would never let him hear the end of it.

It was 10:00 when they made it to the park. Cole and Zane were waiting for them at the bus stop. There was an entire day of fun ahead of them, and he was excited to spend it with his friends. Excitement almost always led to disappointment, and that was what happened when the crew split up immediately.

The tickets had barely left Cole’s hands before Nya announced she was going ninja hunting. Zane eagerly volunteered to help. Kai and Cole were less excited. They wanted to get a jump on the entrance queue for the VIP section. Kai wanted to get some autographs before things started to get busy. Cole tagged along under the guise of not wanting to let him go alone. Lloyd was pretty sure there was an ulterior motive but had no idea what it could be.

Lloyd was forced to make a choice. The park had been divided into two sections – one area for the general public and another for the VIPs. The front two thirds were the free area. Local vendors set up booths to hawk souvenirs and advertise their brands. Carnival rides were tucked in a corner and food carts were sprinkled along the walkways. A big banner that read ‘Welcome To Prime Empire’ had been tied to the statue in the center of the square. It was the standard festival set up and open to anyone that wanted to enjoy the party but couldn’t score a ticket.

The back third was the VIP area. It was reserved for the event invitees and anyone fortunate – or rich – enough to get a pass. A fence had been erected to separate the two zones. A chain link fence with security guards posted at regular intervals sat in front of a tall black and red wall. The Empire must be taking the ticket thing very seriously if they wouldn’t let people get so much as a peek at the back area without paying.

Based on the efforts made to obscure the VIP Lounge, Lloyd figured it was probably a one-time entry kind of thing. That was partly why he chose to go with Nya and Zane. There were supposed to be special events going on in the back after Unagami’s speech, and he figured they would be too busy with that to come back to the free space. There was also probably going to be a crowd at the entrance. The Son of Lord Garmadon was not safe in crowds.

Searching for a celebrity in the cheap seats was an interesting tactic. Nya was adamant he would be there though, and asking questions was dangerous right now. Kai had wound her up enough on the bus ride that she was liable to snap. Lloyd liked his teeth in their current arrangement, so instead he tightened his shoelaces and got ready for a workout.

There was a lot of free space in the free zone. The large area and comparatively low volume of booths meant there was plenty of room to move around. That made it easier to see things but also meant less resistance for Nya. Lloyd learned early on that the Smith siblings could scoot. The Fire Ninja was faster than his Water themed sister, but she had more stamina. Combine that with an unmatched ability to weave in and out of traffic and she was nearly impossible to keep up with.

Lloyd was ready for the challenge. Zane was not. The poor guy never stood a chance. About ten minutes into the search he got caught up in a wave of children. Lloyd could only watch as the robot was swept into a ball pit. Stopping to help meant losing Nya, and he might never find her again if that happened.

Zane was going to be on his own for a while. Lloyd planned to make sure they swung back later after he gave his cyan friend a reminder that Ninja Jay wasn’t the most important thing in the world.

A stray hot dog cart ended the chase later. A momentary lapse from the vendor saw the mobile food unit wheel itself down the cart and directly into Lloyd’s path. He was lucky not to get hit by it – getting trucked by a hot dog cart would have represented a new low that he would never live down. Good fortune on one side was bad luck on the other. Avoiding national embarrassment stalled him long enough for Nya to disappear.

Being alone in the park was bad when there were this many people around. It was usually when a mob formed and an unscheduled cardio session started. Luckily everybody was so absorbed by the shiny things the artisans were selling to notice the unprotected son of their recurring nightmare. That blessing came with a friend when he spotted the Four Weapons booth. The Smiths had been a safe haven since Kai decided Lloyd wasn’t an actual demon. He could hide out at their stall until either Nya noticed he was missing or Kai came by later.

Hiding became secondary when he saw someone in the tent. Leaning against one of the displays was a man in sky blue robes with a golden dragon embroidered on the sash. The ruffled hair and freckles were so familiar that Lloyd almost thought his wayward friend came back. It was only the sun kissed skin that told him otherwise.

Huh. So Nya’s hunch was right.

It was a little funny that they tore around the park for thirty minutes only to find the object of their search hanging out with Nya’s parents. Too bad she wasn’t here to see it.

Ninja Jay leaned casually against a display case. Kunai and throwing stars gleamed in the shadow box. Mr. Smith was greeting customers and showing off inventory a few steps away. Mrs. Smith rang people up on the other side of the stall. Lloyd realized what was going on and had to hand it to Mrs. Smith – she was an advertising genius. Anyone that walked by would see the ninja themed celebrity standing next to the ninja themed weapons and want a ninja themed souvenir.

He wanted to talk to the object of Nya’s obsession but knew that now wasn't the time. Any conversation with this many people around wasn’t likely to be friendly assuming the man cared about his image. Silent reconnaissance was a better way to go. Observing body language and eavesdropping a little would work just as well.

Blending in wasn’t hard. He’d spent most of life trying to fade into the background. It was made even easier when most people were too busy either browsing the inventory or drooling over the famous person.

Thanks to the stealth approach, Lloyd was able to come to two solid conclusions – Ninja Jay was a chatterbox and really good at public relations. The man never stopped talking and none of his words meant anything. There were a lot of platitudes and fake laughs that made the fans giggle. Normal people might not catch on, but anyone with a good eye could tell the whole act was hollow.

“Oh, Lloyd! Lloyd! Over here!” Lloyd flicked his gaze away from Ninja Jay to see who was calling him out. It was Mr. Smith, who must have finally realized he was there. The half second of distraction was all it took for Ninja Jay to go ghost.

How did he do that?

“Lloyd! Could you give this to Kai when you see him?” Mr. Smith didn’t give him time to think about it. The middle-aged blacksmith pushed through the crowd with a notebook in hand. It was Kai’s autograph album. Lloyd realized his friend must have left it at home this morning. It was going to be pretty hard to get signatures without it.

“Uh, yeah. Sure thing Mr. Smith. Um, did you see where Ninja Jay went?”

“Went? Did he…” Mr. Smith frowned as he scanned the exhibit for the advertising piece. “Oh. He must have had to go to the ceremony. Oh well. It was nice of him to volunteer to help out.”

Volunteer? How did Mrs. Smith manage to pull that off?

“Dad! Lloyd!” Nya’s voice cut through their conversation. She sprinted across the quad with Zane in tow. The robot was cool as every while Nya looked like she just finished running a marathon.

“Nya!” Mr. Smith beamed as his daughter skidded to a stop.

“Ohmygosh Lloyd I am so sorry! Are you okay?” she asked, concern creasing her features.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Promise. C’mon, we gotta catch up with Kai and Cole.” Lloyd replied. He was better than fine. This ended up being a lot more informative than he thought. There wasn’t time to explain that to Nya though – the gates to the VIP section would open soon and they needed to get moving if they wanted to make it through the queue and find their friends before the show started.

“But what about…”

“I’ll explain later, right now we gotta go.”

“Tell Kai we love him and say hi to Cole for us!” Mrs. Smith called from behind the register as Lloyd started running toward the back section of the park. A confused Nya and just happy to be there Zane followed along.

“And tell Ninja Jay thank you!” Mr. Smith added. Nya stammered something that Lloyd wasn’t paying attention to. His mind was focused on what he’d seen from their enigmatic person of interest. Nya was right about there being something strange about him. Lloyd just wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.

“What do you mean he was at our parents table?! We ran around half the park looking for him and he was just chilling with my dad?!” Nya yelled. Lloyd recoiled at the volume. So did some of the people around them. She would have been a little embarrassed if the news wasn’t so shocking.

“Not just chilling, working. I guess your parents convinced him to help sell stuff.”

“Of course my mom meets a celebrity and talks him into being a walking billboard,” Kai scoffed.

It was almost noon before they managed to track down Cole and Kai. The latter had autographs all over his t-shirt. Nya wondered how long it would take him to realize he was now wearing an incredibly expensive piece of clothing. She also wondered how long it would take him to spill something on it.

“Was it effective?” Zane queried.

“Yeah. They had a huge line. People were buying stuff just so they had something for him to sign.”

“Do you think he’ll sign my shirt?”

Nya was pissed that she missed him. The anger was mostly directed at herself. Running around without a plan was stupid, but ditching her friends was worse. They only wanted to help and got ignored for their efforts. It wasn’t on purpose, but that didn’t excuse anything.

It sucked that he disappeared again, but at least it meant she wasn’t losing her edge. If he could pull that stunt on Lloyd, he could do it to anyone. The little guy managing to pick up some firsthand intel was a bonus. It proved Nya was right about the guy. Sort of.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Prime Empire thanks you for coming to this afternoon’s event!” A voice called out and disrupted Nya’s thoughts. A lady in a red and white kimono with matching face paint appeared at the center stage microphone. “Today marks the beginning of a new era! In just a few moments, Unagami, the previous Emperor, will share some words as he departs the Throne. This will serve as the opening for a new competition where one skillful gamer will rise above the rest and claim the title of Emperor and Undisputed Champion of All Action Games!”

The crowd gave a cheer at the announcement. Nya also heard a lot of anxious whispers. The people that actually got to compete must have been a little on edge. She couldn’t blame them. This was their livelihood. It was a golden opportunity for glory, but flaming out would be seriously damaging to their careers.

It wasn’t long before the boy of the hour made his appearance. The ten-year-old was wearing his trademark red t-shirt and jeans. With a prepared speech in one hand and a box in the other, he looked up at the microphone. Someone forgot that the ruler was a true short king and only a hair above four feet tall. The crowd waited in silence as a stagehand ran out, adjusted the mic stand, and darted back behind the curtain. Unagami gave a vicious eye roll before tapping the audio device a couple of times to make sure it was on.

“Hello everybody. Welcome to Prime Empire. Today is the start of the next competition for the Throne of the Emperor and the title of Undisputed Champion of All Action Games. This contest will test the skill and grit and yada yada yada,” the boy started. He crumpled the prepared words and tossed them into the crowd. A scuffle broke out as four people dove for the paper like it was a bouquet at a wedding. “Look, nobody came here to listen to me talk, so let’s get this show on the road already.

“We’re going to do things a little differently this time. The Game Masters have set up arcades in different districts around the city. Each one is themed after their chosen category. If you want to challenge one of them, you have to prove it in their arcade. You’ll only get one shot at the Master, and you better make it count. Fail their challenge and you’re out of the competition.” That announcement elicited a much stronger reaction than the previous one. Things would be a lot harder if they could only challenge a Game Master once.

“That’s only the start. This time, Game Masters won’t be passing on their titles when they are defeated. Instead, you’ll win one of these.” Unagami pulled a silver game control out of the box. Aside from the mirrored exterior it didn’t look special. Then he pushed the button in the middle. A two-foot-long blade sporting eight notches along the flat edge materialized from the top. Kai gave an audible ‘woah’ as a hush spread through the crowd. Of course her dumbass brother was impressed by something sharp and shiny.

“This is a Key-Tana. Each Game Master had one and only one. When they are defeated, they’ll pass it on and be removed from the competition. Whoever brings all seven to the top of Ninjago City Tower will win the challenge, be named Emperor, and hold the title of Undisputed Champion of you already know the rest.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Unagami, what happens if no one beats all the Game Masters and wins the Key-Tanas?’. Simple. You don’t have to beat all the Game Masters. Key-Tanas transfer with every victory. If someone wins one first, you can challenge them for it later. The same rule as the Game Masters applies though – if you lose, you’re out. Also keep in mind that each Key-Tana is category specific. If, for example, you want to take possession of the Rhythm Key-Tana, you have to beat its owner in a rhythm game.

“Each arcade was designed by its Game Master, and even I don’t know what you’re going to have to do prove your worth. The only way to find out is to go out there and play. That’s enough from me. Starting now, the battle is officially on. Let’s get out there and play!”

That was the announcement everyone was waiting for. The crowd gave its largest cheer as Unagami soaked it all in. Nya was a little sad that she couldn’t compete. The whole thing sounded fun as hell. There were other things to worry about though. Namely Ninja Jay, Regular Jay, and whatever was following Lloyd across the rooftops.

Unagami made his way backstage as Kimono Lady returned to the mic. She fiddled with it for a minute before another stagehand came out to help her adjust it. “Ladies and gentleman! We hope you take advantage of this exciting opportunity to claim glory within the Empire! We know many of you are eager to get started, but we hope you’ll stick around and enjoy this afternoon’s festivities! There will be musical guests performing on the main stage from 13:00 to 19:00! Lady Lightning will bring the party to a close with a dazzling performance at 20:00! There will also be several themed games and activities to get everyone ready for the battle to come!”

People began leaving the seating area after another round of applause. Kimono Lady left as the stage crew started the set up for the first act. Nya wasn’t particularly interested in the music until someone knocked over a drum kit. A base drum with ‘The Fold’ stamped on it rolled across the stage as a crew member scrambled to keep it from escaping.

How did they book those guys on short notice?! Their concerts have been sold out for weeks!

Rocking out to her favorite band was too good of an opportunity to pass up. She’d been trying to get tickets to see them for over a month. Finding Ninja Jay could wait for a few hours. Besides, it wasn’t like she was having much luck on that front anyway.

The team split up again after the announcement. There were a lot of activities, and everyone wanted to try something different. Kai scurried away to watch a martial arts demonstration. Cole found a rhythm game where you had to break boxes in time with the music. Zane got absorbed by puzzle that involved falling blocks and weird shapes. Even Lloyd ventured out on his own – someone trying to defend themselves with a sword from thrown fruit piqued his interest.

Nya also found something to capture her attention. A mini shooting gallery had been set up in one of the far corners. It was made by the same people that owned the one she’d been hanging posters for earlier in the week. The Fold wasn’t scheduled to come on until 17:00 – Blaze n Vill was taking the stage first with Oh, Hush following – so there was some time to kill. If the old man by the docks hadn’t sold her on it before, the demonstration would have.

A shirtless Kai retrieved her around 16:00. A thin layer of sweat coated his arms and torso. Red marks dotted the exposed flesh. It looked like he’d been in a fight, but the idiot was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. She didn’t bother to ask what happened.

They met up with the others by an information kiosk. Zane was excitedly talking about polyhedrons while Cole nodded along like he cared. Lloyd had bits of fruit in his hair and for once looked happy about it. Everyone had been having a good time.

“Well if it isn’t Garmadork and the Dork Squad. How did you losers get in here? Someone call the groundskeepers and tell them to take the trash out.” As always, the fun stopped when Chad Chen showed up. The two cheerleaders that followed him everywhere snickered in the background.

“Fuck off, Chen. We have tickets. And unlike you we didn’t have to beg daddy for them,” Kai fired back.

“Oh yeah? I know you nerds are too poor to buy your way in. What’d you do? Get Fruit Salad’s dad to beat them out of someone?” Chen shoved a finger in Lloyd’s direction as he said it. Nya wanted to be mad but had to admit that ‘Fruit Salad’ was a pretty good one in context. “Or did you have to sell your shirt to get them? Not that anything you own would be worth that much.”

Maybe before, but Kai’s shirt is probably worth more than you now…

“Nope. We got ‘em from a friend. You know, the kind of person that you don’t have to pay to kiss your ass?”

“Haha, real funny Barbarian Boy. At least my friends kiss my ass instead of kick it.” Chen motioned to the welts that would probably become bruises in the morning. Kai, unperturbed, flexed in response. “Who’s this mystery friend of yours anyway? Gotta be pretty lame to hang out with you weirdos.”

“Our ‘mystery friend’ happens to be Ninja Jay, and he’s way cooler than any of the suck ups that hang around you.” That shut Chen up. Kai was lying through his teeth and everyone knew it, but he said it so confidently that no one wanted to call the bluff.

“Y-yeah, well. So what? Even he can’t make you nerds look cool. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. I’m going to be the new Master of Rhythm after the dance competition. Even Ninja Jay can’t top that!”

Not how that works anymore, dipshit.

Unagami had been pretty clear when he said the Game Masters weren’t passing on their titles. Not that something as silly as the rules would stop Chen from doing what he wanted. Still, this was an opportunity. Knocking him out of the contest would take his overinflated ego down a few pegs.

“We’ll see about that, jackass. If you want that Key-Tana, you’re gonna have to go through me.”

“Pff, you? You’re joking! I could outstep you in my sleep! Besides genius, it’s doubles. You need a partner, and at least one of you has to be a member of the Empire to compete.”

That complicated things, but Nya was undeterred. Finding a partner wouldn’t be that hard. Every member of the Empire was wearing a lanyard with their credentials. All she needed was someone to cosign to get her in. Whether they could – or would – dance was irrelevant. Getting on the floor so she could punch Chen in the face would be good enough. There was more than one way to K.O. the competition after all.

She grabbed a man with official looking tags as he walked by. He let out a pathetic sounding yelp as she pulled him into the conflict.

“This is my partner, and we’re going to take you down!”

The whole group went silent. Kai’s mouth dropped open and Cole’s eyes went wide. The color drained from Lloyd’s face. Zane’s expression didn’t change, but she could practically hear the error messages popping up. Chen and his groupies floundered again. What prompted the response until one of the groupies pointed at the man she had accosted.

“Th-th-that’s…”

Nya looked down at the fistful of blue fabric she was clutching. Part of a golden dragon was crumpled in her grip. As her gaze slowly panned up, she was met with a mop of unruly brown hair and piercing blue eyes. If she didn’t know any better, she would have sworn there were sparks dancing in them.

Ninja Jay, the man she had spent the last several days thinking about, was standing half a foot away with a half-scared half-confused look on his face. All that time wasted searching and she found him completely by accident.

You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.

Chapter Text

“Come on little buddy, just a little bit farther and we’ll be done for the day.”

Jay was pretty sure Cole was trying to kill him. It was the only explanation. He wasn’t buying the ‘it’s for conditioning’ nonsense the Black Ninja had been trying to sell. There were other, better ways to test stamina that didn’t lead to vomiting.

There was no one to blame but himself. Prodding Kai into going to the karate tournament was supposed to be a way to cheer Red Ninja up. The poor guy was in desperate need of something to take his mind off the world. If this version was anything like the Fire Ninja that Jay knew, then watching people kick each other would be perfect. He wasn’t actually interested in going himself, but burning the afternoon for his new friend’s benefit was worth it.

The invitation to train had been unexpected. While learning some moves would be useful – especially for the next time Chen tried to stuff him in a locker – he had never been a good fighter. Master Wu’s training had gone nowhere. The old man was so dry that it was hard to keep his eyes open through the lessons. He doubted Cole and Kai could do much better. They were cool, but trying to teach someone so far below their skill level was probably too tall of an order. He only accepted to avoid being rude – after a few days they would see it wasn’t worth the effort and he could go back to sitting on the sidelines.

He almost collapsed when they made it back to the foot of the mountain. His legs felt like jelly and his stomach was empty from throwing up halfway though. Cole, on the other hand, looked like he had just finished a leisurely stroll through the park. Jay was tempted to try punching him when the other had the audacity yawn.

We just went on a five mile run and you’re not even sweating. How are you not sweating?! WHO ARE YOU?!

“Good job today kid, that was a nice warm up. Tomorrow we’ll go again and then test out some weights.” The mere suggestion of running made Jay melt into a puddle of exhaustion. “I’ve got you first tomorrow. I’ll get you up around sunrise. With any luck we’ll be done before Zane finishes breakfast.”

He could only muster a groan in response. Cole chuckled before picking him up by the back of the gi. Being hauled around like a bag of groceries should have been embarrassing. Jay was too tired to care. It was a small price to pay to avoid climbing the stairs.

If someone told him that Cole’s training sessions were going to be harder than Kai’s, Jay would have laughed in their face. There was no way the big softie could be tougher than the ball of sharp edges and loosely bound aggression that was the older Fire Ninja. Now he was ready to change his mind. Learning from Kai was an absolute delight comparatively.

Karate training that morning had been easy. The beginning stretches nearly tied him into a knot, but everything that followed went smoothly. They spent most of the late morning talking about footwork and hand placement. Kai made it easy to understand and took the time to explain why every detail mattered. It would get harder over time, but Jay was looking forward to it. Something about the way Kai talked made him want to listen.

Maybe they’ll be better teachers than I thought.

They were going to start hands-on instruction after the Lava Bros got back from tomorrow’s party. They couldn’t get any extra tickets – the fire marshal made it very clear that the venue was at capacity already – but the event organizers offered to let Kai help with security as a way of getting a second ninja access to the property. That suited Jay just fine. He had seen enough Rich People Parties to know he wouldn’t miss anything.

Their absence meant Zane would be in charge. Jay wasn’t sure what to expect. This version of the robot was strange, and not in the same ways as his animatronic friend. That was to be expected, but the unknown was still a little scary. Hopefully the White Ninja would be as cool as the Red and Black ones.

Thoughts started to come slower the farther up the stairs they got. The steady rhythm of Cole’s steps combined with the physical drain was better than any lullaby. Jay knew he would be asleep before they got back to the monastery. He said as much, and his chauffeur just chuckled. There were some words that Jay couldn’t process followed by a hand ruffling his hair. Was he being treated like a six-year-old? Yes. Did he care? No. Right now, sleep was more important than pride.

It was dark when he woke up. A soft light crept under the door. Windows were still dark, so Jay figured it was either late that night or early the next morning. He hoped it was the former – the rumble in his stomach meant cardio in the coming hours would be a bad idea.

He rolled out of bed with the intention of finding food. A familiar chill brushed over his skin as the blanket was moved to the side. Someone had taken his clothes again. That was understandable, considering how sweaty and gross the blue gi was getting. Still, it would have been nice if they had let him disrobe on his own.

There was no obvious replacement this time. Jay had a feeling that neither of the men watching over him thought to provide spare clothing. It was highly unlikely either of them would care if he wandered around the monastery in nothing but his boxers. If he wasn’t comfortable enough to do that when he was home alone, he wasn’t going to do it here. Hopefully the other Lightning Ninja wouldn’t mind if Jay borrowed his clothes.

Rather than try to put together a presentable outfit, Jay grabbed the first shirt that looked like it would fit and a pair of sweats that weren’t too long. There was no point in trying to look good when his night vision washed everything into shades of grey.

It would have been nice to have seen what he was putting on, but a light switch was also something this room lacked. It didn’t make sense considering there was a bulb and ceiling fan, and he knew the building had electricity. There must be another way to activate them. That was a problem for later though. Food was priority number one right now.

He couldn’t completely push the oddity out of his mind, though. While walking down the hall he noted that there were no switches out here either. In fact, there weren’t even any light bulbs. The moon was the primary source of illumination, and anything extra came from paper lanterns and candles.

Something about the lanterns was odd. They gave off more light than they should have been able to produce. Jay would have thought they were just cleverly designed fluorescent bulbs if he couldn’t see the flames. It was a neat trick that definitely come in handy if he could figure out how it worked.

The brightness of the hall gave life to the clothing. A formerly greyscale shirt was now a vivid blue with a big yellow lightning bolt in the center. The sweats were also blue, albeit in a slightly different shade. His mother wouldn’t be pleased with the two-toned look. The two 20 somethings that neglected to give him anything else weren’t likely to care.

A savory smell was coming from the direction of the kitchen. Following it led to a bounty of braised beef and Puffy Potstickers. Skylor was responsible if the takeout boxes were to be believed. Jay said a silent thank you to the woman Kai wanted to date before picking one of the packages and a pair of chopsticks.

He was about to dig in when an angry shout and string of curses echoed down the hallway. There was really only one person it could have been coming from. Jay didn’t want to bother him, but laughter filling the corridor in its wake meant the danger was minimal. Probably.

This was the first time any of the doors, save the ones to the kitchen and library, had been open. The one at the far end of the corridor was now, and that was where the sound was coming from. Jay walked quietly to the threshold and poked his head in.

Two things stuck out immediately – the room had electric lights, and it had padded seats. The two couches at the far end were the first cushioned chairs he could remember seeing in the monastery. The appearance of modern conveniences was almost enough to distract from the television. The 72-inch flat screen looked so out of place that he almost didn’t believe it was real.

Kai and Cole were seated on one of the couches. Backs to the door and attention focused on the media box, neither of them noticed him enter.

Jay wasn’t sure what to expect but finding them playing video games wasn’t on the list. It looked like something that belonged to the Fist to Face franchise, though he didn’t recognize the title. Maybe it was some kind of knockoff, or they got early access to a new, not yet announced addition to the franchise. Whatever it was, it looked fun. At least, it looked fun for Cole – he was leading Kai three stock to one.

They fought in the game the same way they did in real life. Cole was more than happy to block and parry while Kai never stopped moving. Cole clearly had the upper hand this time though. The low damage gauge and high life count meant he probably hadn’t been challenged much.

Things might have been different if they were playing on a flat stage. This one had a bunch of floating platforms and moving parts. Jay thought that should have worked to Kai’s advantage – making Cole chase him would have made it harder to pull off the parries. It was after Kai fell into a hazard that he realized why things were going so poorly. The angry outburst intertwined with the amused one meant that wasn’t the first time the Black Ninja had baited him into a death.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me with this fucking pit! How many times am I gonna fall into that damn thing!”

“Depends. How high can you count?” The amount of sarcasm that Cole managed to pack into the sentence was impressive. It elicited more frustrated growls from Kai. Jay couldn’t contain a giggle and ended up alerting both ninja to his arrival.

Kai whipped around with righteous fury still blazing in his eyes. It quickly softened into something a lot kinder but no less fierce. Cole’s turn was less violent. The mischievous smile plastered on his face would have been concerning if Jay knew that it was meant for him.

“Look who decided to rejoin the land of the living. How are you feeling little buddy?” Cole asked.

“Starving. Thanks for the food,” Jay replied, lifting the box of take-out.

“You can thank Skylor. She had it delivered,” Kai said fondly.

“Come on, we have extra space on the couch. You can eat and watch me kick Kai’s ass again at the same time.”

“No way Boulder Brain. I’m going to get you this time.”

“You’ve been saying that for an hour now…”

They devolved into another argument while Jay sauntered over. Cole forcibly moved Kai over as he slid into the middle of the couch. Jay noted took the now open end, settled in with his dinner, and watched the two ninja masters start another round.

It was a little weird to see them in an informal setting. Cole wasn’t wearing his gi for the first time in a week. The black tank top and burnt orange basketball shorts kept with his theme. Kai was rolling with a red tank that faded to orange at the bottom. The shorts were a similar shade of red with a blue flame pattern along the hem. The mismatch proved Jay’s hypothesis that they could not have cared less what he wore.

Now that he was sitting next to him and not panicking or falling asleep, Jay got the opportunity to really look at Cole. The big guy was covered in scars. He knew both of the ninja were scraped up, but it never registered just how much damage they had taken until now. The Black Ninja’s arms were covered in smaller nicks and scratches that weren’t visible from a distance. The ones that crawled from the neck opening of his shirt suggested more riddled his chest.

He assumed Kai looked the same way. It was hard to tell with Cole’s frame blocking his view. That and the other ninja wouldn’t hold still long enough to get a proper gander. Scrutinizing the mountain masquerading as a man would have to do for tonight.

Cole’s eyes were cool. They were the same color as his Earth Ninja’s but a little different. Instead of the brown-to-gold gradient, these ones had little flecks in a sea of chocolate. A tiny ring of green that could only be seen from up close wrapped around the edges. Thoughts of the story about Master Yang and the Day of the Departed made him wonder if that was a lingering side effect from his time as a ghost.

This was the most relaxed he had seen the older version of his music obsessed friend. The tension in his shoulders and around his eyes was usually ever present. He looked like a different person now that he was loose. Jay wondered what state was considered normal – this or the mildly anxious one Cole had been stuck in for the last several days. He knew that a lot of that worry was because of his presence. Cole would deny it until the sun came up, but it was the truth. Jay hated that he was causing so much angst in someone else. It was especially bad when there was nothing he could do about it.

Those thoughts were going to have to go in the vault for now. Kai could smell emotional distress and wouldn’t hesitate to bring it to the forefront. Jay refused to ruin the moment. If these guys could push their problems to the side for his benefit, he could do the same for them.

Watching Kai die the same way three times in a row was as funny as it was frustrating. The move set was so telegraphed Jay could see each one coming well before it happened. If he could see it, then Cole could too. It was no wonder he had been getting dominated.

“Give up yet?” Cole asked with a smirk.

“You already know the answer to that. Let’s go again!”

“How about we let Baby Jay take a turn? I need a break.” Jay was nervous, but not as much as he could have been. This was probably the one arena he had more training in than them. They were good, to be sure, but not great. He liked his chances.

Saying no wouldn’t have been an option anyway. Not when he saw the twinkle in Cole’s eyes as the toothy smile on Kai’s face. They legitimately wanted to play with him. He wasn’t about to turn down a friendly match with people that actually wanted him around.

Cole returned the game to the character select screen before handing off the controller. A grid with 20 avatar choices popped up. There were plenty of options and Jay had no idea how any of them worked.

“The grid is arranged by style of fighter. Characters lower and farther to the right have higher attack power but lower speed. They’re also heavier and don’t jump as high,” Cole explained. It was neat that the developers thought to organize it that way. Jay noted that the cursor was hovering over the second to last on the bottom role. The Black Ninja choosing meaty avatar was very on brand.

Kai’s selection was on the second row. Being the fourth selection, it probably had the highest attack power but lowest speed of anyone in the category. Cole’s pick would have been good for defending against it but bad for attacking. No wonder he relied on Kai making mistakes.

He could have stayed with that character. Big and bulky fighters weren’t his style though. He preferred characters with more speed and higher agility. That would play into Kai’s strength, but it was better to start with something he might be sort of comfortable with. He picked the second character on the top row. Cole raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem to be surprised. A singular ‘ha’ escaped from Kai’s side of the couch.

I wonder if I just picked the same character Other Jay usually does.

After locking in his choice, the game moved to the stage selection screen. Kai hit the randomizer button before explaining that it was a house rule. A fight always broke out when they thought someone was picking a stage for an advantage, so they had to let the game decide for them. This time it picked a level that was all vertical rises. Missing a jump meant falling into the kill zone. It would have been a little unfair to throw a new player into it. Considering Kai’s issues with the lone spike pit on the last level, it was probably an even playing field.

Figuring out the control scheme wasn’t hard. It was exactly like both Fist to Face I and II. That was good, because Kai didn’t give him time to get comfortable. The Red Ninja was on him as soon as the game started. Losing to Cole so many times must have left him starving for a win.

He managed to dodge the first flurry of attacks. Kai came in hard and fast, but Jay’s character was faster. Bouncing out of the way, he moved like lightning across the screen. Kai didn’t have the speed to keep up but that didn’t stop his pursuit. The threat of fiery fists forced Jay to be perfect – a missed jump or poorly timed dodge would mean a quick death.

The first scenario became reality and cost him the first stock. He got a little too aggressive on a jump and plummeted into the kill box. He got to watch Kai’s avatar do a happy dance while respawning. It was a little annoying, but Jay brushed it off. Their game of tag started again shortly after he loaded in. They went around the screen four times before Jay realized what Kai was doing. The chase was a test to see how much control he had over his character. Speed could be deadly for both parties. If Jay used his carelessly, then he was more likely to kill himself than his opponent.

That gamble already paid off once. It nearly did a second time when he dashed over his intended platform. It was pure luck that he managed to land on the last platform before the certain death of the bottom of the screen. Kai didn’t give him time to recover. Jay learned very quickly that standing and fighting was a bad idea. Kai hit harder, and despite the difference in speed stat, had a better reaction time. Their battle was short and ended with Jay rocketing off the left side of the screen.

Jay realized that he made a few miscalculations. The two ninja were actually really good. The average-looking gameplay was just a function of having to play against each. The stage was a problem too. It was readily apparent that the arena was working against him more than Kai. His high speed character had a tendency to overshoot the platforms. His opponent’s slower PC had more control. Add in the weight difference – which was actually very important – and the game became very difficult very quickly.

None of that was a reason to give up. Jay still believed he could play with them. The two lost lives had more to do with his gameplay than his opponent’s. Kai posed a bigger challenge than any of the other Secret Ninjas, but the man wasn’t unbeatable. All it would take was a good plan and a little bit of luck to pull out a win.

Facing Kai head on was suicide. Continually leaping from platform to platform would likely end in a missed jump and a fall into the void. He was going to need to bait his opponent into a mistake the same way Cole had earlier.

Jay managed to do it once. He stayed close enough that Kai couldn’t resist attacking yet just out of reach. The Red Ninja eventually got too aggressive and missed a platform. From there it was a short fall into the pit of doom. The angry noises were mostly drowned out by Cole’s laughter. It felt good peeling one stock off his total. The trick wouldn’t work a second time – there was too much luck involved, and Kai wasn’t likely to fall for it twice – but that was okay. There would be other opportunities to show his stuff.

As expected, Kai upped the aggressiveness on respawn. The extra emphasis on offense made it harder to play keep away. A couple of well-timed combos and Jay watched his character drop to its death for the third time. Losing the first game sucked, but Jay was starting to get an idea of how he had to play against the ninja master.

“Ha Ha! Yes! I finally won one!” Kai shouted. He all but threw his controller in the air in happiness.

“Congratulations. You only had to find someone that never played the game before,” Cole drawled.

“You’re just jealous that I beat Jay when you couldn’t.”

“He’s not even the same Jay!”

Kai was loading another round while they bantered. Cole didn’t ask for the controller back, so Jay assumed he was up again. That was fine with him. He knew how to play both the game and Kai now. The next round wouldn’t be as easy for the cocky martial artist.

They played three more matches before Cole decided it was enough. Kai won the first two, but Jay inched closer each time. He finally won the third game after they whittled each other down to one stock. All three of them let out a victory screech after he knocked Kai’s avatar off the stage for the win. No one seemed to be happier about it than the newly minted loser. Jay got wrapped up in a hug shortly after the victory screen came on.

After they came down from their high, Kai declared it was movie time. Everybody was tired but no one wanted to go to bed yet. Cole made popcorn – one of the few things he was allowed to cook – and they settled in for Starfarer: Episode I. Jay had no idea they made prequels. The ninja swore that Episode III was the best of the new-ish trilogy, but they started with the first picture so things would make sense.

Kai fell asleep twenty minutes into the film. Jay could see him leaning against Cole’s right side with a thin trail of drool escaping his mouth. He really wished he had his phone - that picture would have done numbers on Chirp.

Rather than mourn a missed opportunity, he snuggled closer to Cole. The Black Ninja made a surprisingly good pillow. About halfway through the movie, he felt his eyes begin to droop too. A hand started to card through his hair, and Jay let himself fall asleep in his bodyguard’s arms for the second time that day.

Chapter Text

Jay was not thrilled with the idea of walking into this blind. With both Mother Doomsday and the library being busts, he had to turn to the least reliable source of information – random people on the street.

He learned a lot about the current structure of the Empire. Most of the content was made by the lower ranking members. The highest ranking gamer that was active every day was Naili27 at Number 21. Numbers 10 through 20 only showed up for big battles. Outside of Unagami at Number 1, the single digit gamers were so elusive that no one knew who they were.

Parts of the missing fifteen years also started to come into focus. He learned about the Game Masters going missing and Unagami’s sudden rise to fame two years ago. He learned about the evolution of the Empire from the original design. There was a lot of new information but none of it was particularly useful.

At least the speech was informative. It would have sucked to have to listen to the little blowhard talk without finding out what the rules were. At least Unagami also seemed uninterested in the pomp and circumstance. Tossing the speech and cutting to the chase was a welcomed surprise.

Jay liked the way they set the competition up. It was nerve wracking knowing that a single failure would mean expulsion and probably condemn him to life in this alternate world, but that was also what made it exciting. There was nothing like the threat of imminent doom to get the blood pumping.

He should have left after it was over. The Secret Ninja Force was around, and he had no intention of talking to them. Maintaining a safe distance was important for his sanity.

Hanging out with Ray and Maya had challenged that idea initially. Listening to stories about little Kai and Nya made them sound like really cool people. The siblings that grew up in a stable home environment with two present parents were a lot different than the pair he called brother and Yang. Trying to reconcile the two sets might be more than he could handle emotionally. Being compromised wasn’t something he could afford right now.

He’d done a good job of staying out sight until Nya plucked him out of the crowd. Her voice carried – he heard her from across the seating area earlier – so he thought the crew was a decent way away. They weren’t. Getting plucked out of the crowd showed that they were right behind him. It was a little weird that they were fighting with what looked like a cheer squad, but whatever. It wasn’t like his own villains were exactly normal.

It took a lot of willpower not to dissolve into a puddle of emotion. They were younger, but a lot of the familiar facial features were still present. The ever-present fire in Kai’s eyes, Cole’s locks, the sheen of Zane’s skin, that little bit of baby fat that always hung in Lloyd’s cheeks – his brothers were as recognizable as always. Looking at Nya was hard. She was exactly the same as he remembered, right down to the beauty mark. The few seconds of eye contact were enough to make him reconsider his philosophy.

Nobody moved for a long minute. Jay didn’t trust himself to speak and everyone else was trying to process that Nya just violated a celebrity’s personal space. Kai was the first to come back to his senses. As usual, he did it loudly.

“Ooooh you bitches are in trouble now! I told you that we were tight!” The outburst was enough to bring Jay back to the present. He had no idea what they had just sucked him into, but he wasn’t going to let the kids down. It was a good thing he had plenty of practice playing off the older Master of Fire. He put on the cockiest face he could and backed up Kai’s boast.

“Yeah we are! If you have a problem with one of my friends, you take it up with me!” The false bravado was enough to rattle the two backup cheerleaders. They took off, leaving their leader alone. Jay saw the name ‘Chen’ stitched onto his jacket. He wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be the mobster or one of his offspring. Either way, the rest of the encounter had to be handled carefully. It was unfortunate that the Secret Ninja Force didn’t understand what the word meant.

“You hear that Chen? You don’t stand a chance. Why don’t you take your pompoms and walk your ass home before we stick a foot in it,” Nya taunted.

“No way, Smith. Doesn’t matter what lame crowd you’re in with, I’m still winning the competition. You and Ninja Jay better bring your A game because I plan on dancing out of here with that Key-Tana.”

Did that shrimp just call me lame? Oh it’s on now!

Chen did a little two-step before turning on a heel and strutting away. Jay watched as Nya fumed and Kai stuck his tongue out at the bully’s back. Resisting the temptation to join in was difficult. After the future menace to society sauntered into the crowd, it was time to find out what was actually going on.

“So, that was cool. What’s this about a competition.?”

A dance contest. The Secret Ninja Force got into a dance contest with the captain of the cheer squad. A group of teenaged ninja warriors finding themselves in a dumb situation was not surprising. Really, this wasn’t even something new. Memories of the Ninjago City Talent Show all those years ago came flashing back when Kai recapped what the argument was about. It would have been nice if they put the actual step master in the ring instead of two people that wouldn’t be able to tango their way out of a wet paper bag.

Jay was serviceable – one didn’t live with Cole for ten years and not pick up a few moves – but that was about it. Nya was downright bad. She spent more time dancing on his feet than she did on the floor. For a Master of Water In Training, the girl didn’t have very much rhythm.

Most of that could probably be attributed to the fact that she wasn’t really trying. Her eyes hadn’t left Chen since they got on the dance floor. Jay didn’t know what history the two had, but he was sure it wasn’t good. You didn’t glare that hard at someone you were on good terms with.

“Hey everybody, thanks for signing up for our little competition.” Someone grabbed the center stage mic. Jay would recognize the brown leisure suit and fake gold medallion anywhere. “We’re going to give everyone a few more minutes to warm up while we finish getting things together on stage. In the meantime, let me go over the rules.

“This is the amateur contest. No professionals allowed on the floor right now. Whichever team wins this round will get to perform with the big dogs during Lady Lightning’s show tonight. There will be judges watching you dance, and they’re going to disqualify teams as we go. If you fall, you’re out. If you aren’t dancing hard enough, you’re out. The contest will go until The Fold’s set is over or we only have one team left. I hope you all brought your dancing shoes, because it’s time to get down!”

The dance floor was set up in front of the main stage where the chairs had been for Unagami’s speech. There were at least twenty other teams there. Jay could tell some were better than others. None of them were unbeatable. The problem was going to be Nya. They wouldn’t make it through the first song if she didn’t get her act together.

“You know, we might do pretty well if you focused on your feet more than Chen’s,” he said lightly. Nya must not be in the mood for jokes. Her scowl could have scared off a wild boar. It softened into a mildly annoyed frown after she remembered who she was talking to.

“Sorry. It’s just, that jerk had been on our case since we started school. This is my chance to show him up at his own game and I don’t want to blow it.”

“I get it. More than you know. But trying to set his pants on fire with your eyes isn’t going to work” Jay replied. He tried to keep the tone soft, but it was hard when his toes were constantly under attack. “Worry about what you can control. We’ll beat him, I promise, but we’re going to need to work together to do it.”

She snorted at the suggestion. Jay had to bite back a frown. He knew this wasn’t his Yang. The whole interaction was the reason he didn’t want to get involved with the kids in the first place. This attitude wasn’t like Nya at all.

“Look, I appreciate you stepping up to help, but we aren’t winning shit. I’m an awful dancer. The only thing I want to do is knock that jackass out so he can’t brag about winning this thing.”

“I’m not very good either, but that’s not going to stop me from trying. If we give it our best shot, we can do something better than give him a bloody nose.” Nya looked skeptical. Jay wished Kai was here. Motivational speeches were his department. Even so, the words must have gotten through. A familiar determination sparked in his partner’s eyes.

“Alright, we’ll try it your way. But if things start going south, I’m going to kick him in the kidney.” That sounded a lot more like the woman he was promised to.

“Okay everyone, we’re just about ready to get started. Remember the rules, and dance like no one is watching!” Dareth called. Jay could have done without the little hip sway. This version of the Brown Ninja was every bit as weird as his own.

Four clicks of the drummer’s sticks later and the band began to play. The all too familiar opening to Ninjago’s hottest song signaled the start to the contest. Two teams ran into each other almost immediately. A third got their feet tangled up and took themselves out. It was a good thing Jay got Nya to focus earlier, otherwise they would have joined the car crash of incompetence.

Nya was better now that she was putting some effort in, but she still wasn’t good. Her steps were awkward and most of the time it didn’t look like she knew what to do with her arms. At least she was moving in time now. That was something they could work with.

Their dancing was going to win any awards, but they stayed in sync enough not to get booted after the first song. The same couldn’t be said for two other groups. Jay saw the judges politely ask one team to leave and forcibly remove another.

Chen turned out to be pretty good with his feet. Jay caught glances of him and his red headed partner. They moved with practiced steps that emphasized how long they had been working together. The teenager’s confidence was well placed. They were clearly the best team here. Unfortunately for him, Jay made a habit of defying the odds.

It was pretty obvious that they weren’t going to win this thing the traditional way. They were going to have to get creative. Fortunately, that was Jay’s specialty, and Nya had already given him an idea.

“Hey Nya, how good of a fighter are you?”

“I got my green stripe last week. Why? You want some tips?” Nya asked.

Perfect.

Jay gave a toothy grin before grabbing one of Nya’s hands and swinging her in close. “Do you trust me?”

“No! What kind of stupid ass question is that?!” she hissed.

“One you’re going to have to answer if we want to beat Chen. I have an idea, but we need to be on the same page.”

Nya went silent. Jay could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Holding a version of his Yang that didn’t believe in him was heartbreaking, and any thoughts of trying to get in the ninjas’ good graces evaporated. The only reason he didn’t walk away now was because he had his own bone to pick with Chen.

He spun her back out onto the dance floor and went back to grooving. The competition was starting to get tighter. Three more couples dropped out during the second song. A fourth got taken out when the band changed tempo. The slower pace threw off their rhythm, and Jay couldn’t hold the wince as one of them crashed to the floor.

The most inexperienced teams – except for the two ninja – were all out now. Jay stole glimpses of the others and saw how well they worked with each other. The current song necessitated a more intimate dance, and that was something none of them were having trouble with. He and Nya stuck out like a sore thumb.

An invitation to leave looked to be on the way when the judges started converging. His and Nya’s performance wasn’t good enough to keep them in the competition. He was mentally prepared to make a quick exit when she pulled him close. For being a decade younger, the Water Ninja was still surprisingly strong.

They managed to pull off a clumsy waltz. It was apparently enough to get the referees to back off. Jay thought that was good until seeing the scowl on Nya’s face.

“Let me make myself clear – I don’t trust you. At all. But I need your help to humiliate that bastard. So, I’ll work with you. For now. But I want some answers when this is over.”

That would have to be good enough. He wasn’t going to stick around to play Q&A though. Whatever she wanted to know was likely more than he could answer. It wasn’t going to do their relationship any favors, but he doubted they would be seeing much of each other anyway.

“We might not be good enough dancers to win this thing, but I bet we’re good enough fighters to stay in it,” Jay hinted.

“You want to fight the other dancers? What happened to beating them at their own game?”

“We aren’t fighting the other dancers, we’re fighting each other! A good spar can look like a dance if the two involved know what they’re doing,” he corrected. Nya got a weird look on her face. He was a little concerned that she would turn him down. Then the trademark Smith Smile showed up.

“That’s something I can get behind! You sure you can keep up, Ninja Jay?” Nya teased.

Girl you have no idea…

The band picked up the pace with song number four. Most of the other teams went back to doing a samba or salsa or some other dance that started with ‘s’. Jay and Nya kicked into a spar. He spun her out of their hold. Nya twisted to a stop a few feet away and shifted into a fighting stance. Jay mirrored her. They gave each other a courtesy bow before putting on their show.

This version of Nya was a lot more aggressive than he expected. Her strikes came fast and frequently. It was a lot like sparring with Kai. Being familiar with the style made it easier to counter. Her punching in time with the music also helped.

A lot of credit for things going well belonged to his brothers. Being familiar with Dragon Breath’s patterns let Jay predict where Nya’s next attack was going to come from. Hours spent getting spun around by Zane’s aikido helped turn away attacks, and Cole’s dance moves helped him do it with flair. Having an edge in the experience department helped make their fake fight look like a well-choreographed show piece.

There were only five teams left by the end of the fifth song. Jay was too busy trying to avoid getting bopped in the nose to see what happened to them. All he knew was there were four other couples, including Chen’s. It was time to push the envelope.

Up to now, he’d been letting Nya do all the attacking. It was easier to control the flow of the fight from a defensive position. Every punch could be met with a dodge or joint lock. Those could then be turned into fluid movement and repositioning that – when exaggerated a little bit – looked a lot like a dance move. This was the safest way to go. Now that it was crunch time, Jay went on the offensive.

Nya threw a punch that he easily dodged. He locked the arm long and used the leverage to spin her around. She skidded to a stop a few feet away. Jay didn’t give her time to load up again. Her eyes widened as he charged. He mouthed the word ‘trust’ before diving forward into a handstand. Nya ducked when she saw him plant, giving him enough extra room to turn it into a backflip.

The display of athleticism stunned one team into stopping completely. Another that was too focused on the jump and danced into them. Both couples hit the deck and were eliminated.

Three teams left. Jay saw Chen’s jaw drop out of the corner of his eye. He flashed a shark smile before whipping around for round two.

Jay bounced back a couple of steps before dashing forward again. Nya turned just in time to dodge and open hand strike. They held the pose for a second before repeating the move on the opposite side. Nya’s snap kick low made Jay jump high. After two more repetitions he flipped backwards and settled into a new stance. His partner rushed forward and tried to jump into a kick. Jay caught her foot in mid-air and tried to use it to flip Nya backward.

It was a move Cole had pulled on him and Kai a hundred times. Rocky’s superior strength made it look easy. For people with normal strength, it was not. Jay couldn’t handle the force of the kick. It knocked him off balance and almost planted him on his butt. He didn’t get enough upward thrust to get Nya into a complete flip either. She almost pulled it off because every version of the Master of Water was awesome but stumbled on the landing.

The blunder was going to cost them the competition. Jay could see Nya was going to fall by the way she was windmilling her arms. Fortunately, he’d thrown her into Chen’s path. If anyone asked, he would say it was planned that way. She tried to use the bully to break her fall and ended up taking both of them down. It eliminated the two teams and left one confused but nonetheless happy pairing as the winners.

“And there you have it folks! Let’s congratulate our winners – the Dangerbuff Brothers!” Dareth blared into the microphone. Applause from an audience that Jay didn’t know was there rang out in the background. “They get to move on and compete in the big show with Lady Lightning later tonight. Thank you to everyone else that participated, and better luck next time!”

Going out that way was kind of annoying, but at least they took out Chen. Ruining the mad man in training’s night and showing him that Jay wasn’t to be trifled with was good retribution for tonight.

Nya didn’t seem all that upset by losing. She was busy taunting the irate cheer leader. When Kai ran over to provide back up, Jay figured it was time to leave. There was no point in waiting for them to start asking questions that didn’t have good answers. Other Zane shut down that line of thought. The alternate nindroid was standing so close that Jay almost ran into him when he turned to leave.

Does every version of Zane know how to sneak like that?

“Hello. I am Zane. Could I interest you in a bowl of noodles?” An offer of free food was the last thing Jay expected. It wasn’t something he was going to turn down though. Honestly, considering the financial situation, it wasn’t something he could afford to turn down.

“Uh, sure…” Zane produced a steaming bowl of fresh noodles from somewhere. Jay had no idea where he had been keeping them or for how long. The only thing that mattered was that it was free and it was edible. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised that it was the same thing he had ordered at the noodle shop earlier in the week. The Older Gen Nindroid probably had every step of this encounter planned out already.

The White Ninja didn’t say anything while Jay scarfed down the food. It was a little creepy being watched, but it was so distinctly Zane that it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

He stole glances at the future Master of Ice through mouthfuls of noodles. Dressed in a blue and white sweater vest with a pink button down underneath, he looked primed to attend a high school debate tournament. The neatly trimmed hair that totally wasn’t brushed metal and overly bright eyes reminded him of Echo Zane. This was definitely one of the older models, maybe even a knock off like Cyrus Borg’s security drones.

Jay was skilled enough in reading robots to catch the excitement in Zane’s form. The slightly elevated purr of the fans and minute shudders indicated there was a real doozy of a question coming after the food was gone. There was no getting out of it either – it was impossible to escape a nindroid on a mission.

“Thanks, that really hit the spot,” Jay said after sucking down the last of the noodles.

“You are most welcome. I was very happy to see that someone enjoyed my creation. Would you mind if I ask a question?”

Yes, Jay did mind if Zane asked a question. Saying that after being gifted food was rude, so he gestured for the automaton to continue.

“Would you be willing to come to the noodle shop on Tuesday evening? I have more recipes I would like to try, and I would like you to be the first to taste them,” Zane said. The minute brightening of the eyes and slight rushing of the words betrayed his excitement.

Saying yes was a bad idea. He had just resolved not to engage with the ninja any further. The hopefulness in the closet White Ninja’s tone was too much to overcome though. As much as the seeing-but-not-knowing thing hurt, letting them down was infinitely worse. Besides, it was only going to be one evening and there would be free Zane-cooked food. Spending a few hours with the Ice Machine probably wouldn’t kill him.

“Uh, sure. How can I say no to free food? Especially when it’s good,” he replied with a chuckle. Zane gave the most technically proper bow Jay had ever seen before thanking him and buzzing off into lands unknown.

The second attempt at escape went about as well as the first. Lou of all people stopped him this time. The Royal Blacksmith was in his trademark vest, bowtie, and straw hat. The cyan and red motif was new, but it matched the color scheme for all the other decorations. A familiar cane was held in one hand, but the singer-slash-dancer didn’t seem to need it.

“Hello! I have to say, I was very impressed with your moves out there. I wish I could get my son to dance like that,” the older man said with a laugh.

If only you knew what that man was capable of…

“Anyway, I won’t take too much of your time. Even though you didn’t win the contest, you definitely won a new fan. Hope to see you again soon!”

Lou shuffled away after handing over an envelope. Jay also, finally made a hasty retreat. He did not want to be stopped for a third time today.

Not having any money sucked. Jay had hoped to win some scratch at the opening ceremony. That didn’t happen, so tonight was being spent under the stars. At least the city was warm.

It probably would have been easy to find an abandoned building in Metalonia to use for shelter. Something told him that was a bad idea though. Jay had learned to trust the sixth sense that sounded suspiciously like Kai. It saved his skin more than once and would likely continue to do so. Instead, he picked a rooftop in Jamanakai to rest on. The tallest building in the district offered enough privacy that he was pretty sure no one would bother him.

Using the blue gi as a pillow, he stared at the ticket Lou left him. The bright yellow page shimmered in the moonlight. Black lettering written in loose cursive laid out the first real step on his journey home. Everything before was the lead up to this.

You are cordially invited to challenge the Game Master of Rhythm. Find my arcade in Shintaro Heights and we will give this city a show it will never forget.

Chapter Text

Notice – 72 broken database keys, four corrupted drivers, 1,201 obsolete files detected. Data backup required. Last system restart was seven days, fifteen hours, seventeen minutes ago. Please restart system to complete necessary maintenance.

Zane dismissed the error messages. They were popping up more frequently, their resolution was not his primary concern. Solving the Jay conundrum was priority number one. Progression towards that goal could not wait for him to take a nap.

Today would be another step towards achieving that goal. Three days ago, he and Pixal hit a dead end. They were almost positive that the Tornado of Creation was responsible for the switch. Fixing this mess should be as simple as recreating the conditions that led to the switch in the first place. The only problem was that they couldn’t. Kai’s reforged weapons only responded to the relevant Elemental Master. They did technically have a Master of Lightning, but the boy was far from reaching his true potential. Asking him to engage in a maneuver so complex with minimal training would only lead to disaster.

Since that option was off the table, they were going to have to do this the hard way. There were many ways to traverse the sixteen realms. Some were more reliable – and safer – than others. Determining the best method relied on figuring out which dimension Jay was currently stuck in. Retrieving him and returning Baby Jay would be relatively simple after that.

It sounded simple on paper but would be much harder in practice. Finding out what dimension their brother was stuck in would be next to impossible on their own. Realms, as far as he knew, were massive. Searching through each one individually would take far too long. Even if they did happen to pick the right one, locating him would be another challenge. This was the problem he had spent the last 36 hours trying to solve. It wasn’t until that morning that he had a breakthrough.

Zane was concerned when nobody showed up for breakfast. It was odd not to see Cole seated at the table during the preparation stages. So was Kai’s failure to appear when the food started sizzling. When the meal was finished and none of them were around, he decided it was time to investigate.

The private quarters were the first stop. Kai’s bed still being tidy and Cole’s pajamas still sitting on his chair meant they hadn’t slept there last night. A quick check of Jay’s room revealed that their guest was also absent. It was possible that they were conducting a training exercise, but it was highly unlikely any of them - Cole in particular - would leave without eating.

That assumption proved to be correct when he reached the relaxation room. All three of them were bundled together on the couch. Cole had one arm wrapped around Kai’s shoulders and Baby Jay’s entire body curled under the other. All three were fast asleep. Zane knew he had to take a photo. Nya and Lloyd would very disappointed otherwise.

Error. Drive not found.

He dismissed the notification. Saving the file in a different location would be easier than remapping the drive. It could be relocated to its proper place later.

As nice as the scene was, it couldn’t go on all morning. Breakfast was getting cold and they had things to do. He scrolled through his sound library – because of course that was still working properly – and selected a suitable alarm.

The simulated air horn worked to perfection. Kai shot up like a bottle rocket. If the ceiling had been any lower he probably would have hit his head. Cole startled awake and tipped the couch over. Both the Black and Baby Blue Ninja were spilled backwards onto the floor.

“Dammit Zane, did you really have to do that?” Kai whined as he crouched on the table.

“It was the most efficient way to wake you. Breakfast is ready, and I assumed you would not want to let it get any colder.”

“Didn’t we talk about this, like, two days ago?” Cole, clearly annoyed, questioned as he climbed over the couch. Zane wasn’t sure what this had to do with that conversation. They seemed like completely different topics. He could ask about it later. Right now they had breakfast to eat.

Cole took Baby Jay for strength training after they finished eating. The boy looked much more scared of that then he did during his kidnapping. Zane didn’t blame him – Cole’s weightlifting routine was every bit as extreme as Kai’s karate training.

Speaking of which, the Master of Fire was glaring at him. Surely it couldn’t have been because of the wake-up call. Master Wu used to do much worse when they lived on the Bounty. There had to be another reason. Like with Cole, it would be best to let him start the conversation when he was ready.

They sat in relative silence while Zane did the dishes. Even though the room was quiet, he could practically hear the steam coming out of his brother’s ears. This was setting up to be a much more explosive conversation than the talk with Cole two days ago. Perhaps waiting him out was a bad idea.

“How dumb do you think we are,” Kai asked. It was more of a statement than a question. The sharpness in his tone indicated that whatever response Zane came up with was likely to be the wrong one. Damage control was his only option, though it would have been nice to know why he was in trouble.

“I do not know what you mean. I find all of you to be quite intelligent.” That was a bit of an exaggeration. He would not go as far as to call them dumb, but they certainly had their moments.

“Don’t try to butter me up Zane. You’re hiding something, and I want to know what it is,” Kai replied.

So this was about the debriefing the other night. Zane knew they could read between the lines. He had hoped they would have been too distracted with Baby Jay to notice this time. Apparently that was wishful thinking.

“I can assure you it’s nothing serious…” he started.

“Enough of the bullshit Zane, I’m not in the mood for it. You said you and Pixal hit a dead end, but you never would have come back here empty-handed,” Kai interrupted. He was determined to figure out what Zane’s plans were. Skirting around the truth wasn’t going to work this time.

“Pixal and I have indeed hit a dead end. We believe we have figured out the science of how the two Jays traded places. The simplest way to fix this would be to recreate the conditions that lead to the initial problem. Unfortunately, we do not have the Nunchucks of Lightning or anyone capable of activating them. So, we are forced to look into alternative ways of locating our missing teammate.

“As you know, there are many ways to travel to different realms. It would do us no good to check all sixteen individually. We require a starting point, and I hoped that by talking with Baby Jay I might be able to learn more about his home world and narrow down the list of possibilities.”

Several different emotions crossed Kai’s face. Zane registered some confusion, some disappointment, and many variations of anger. It was expected. This response was the entire reason he didn’t bring it up last night. After Cole expressed his displeasure, it was pretty obvious that Kai would not be in favor of this course of action either.

“Okay, so why did you make us wait to rescue him? Why risk something happening to him?” The retort was surprisingly calm. There was still a dangerous edge, but it was more like a butter knife than a katana now.

“Rescuing him immediately was initially the intent. I assumed, based on what Cole’s account, that the kidnapping was conducted by some common criminals,” Zane started. Something else flashed across Kai’s expression, but he didn’t interrupt. It was natural – if not expected – that the Red Ninja was not yet over the experience. “However, when I discovered that it was not the Sons of Garmadon that had taken him, I changed tactics. If there was an additional interested party now involved, it would be prudent to understand who they were and what they wanted.”

It was essentially the same argument that he made on Wednesday night, albeit with some additional context. It still wasn’t everything, but it was enough to cool Kai’s temper for the time being.

“Cole told me he already chewed your ass over that, so there’s no point in me doing it. But Zane, do not put the kid in danger again. I don’t care what you get yourself into, his safety comes first. Got it?” The threat didn’t scare him. Any fight they had would likely end in a draw. Still, the fact that Kai thought it was necessary gave him pause.

“I will do my best to ensure nothing happens to him. You have my word.” It didn’t appear to reassure the Red Ninja as much as he hoped it would. The lack of trust was written across every inch of Kai’s face. He didn’t say anything else on the matter, but he didn’t have to. The message was received.

“Did you at least learn something out of all of that?” Kai asked. The tension started to leak out of his form now. Curiosity replaced the ire that had been swirling in his eyes.

“Yes and no. While I did not learn who was responsible for the kidnapping, I do know that they are not of this realm. I had Falcon record the interrogation. Baby Jay recalled three captors, and his account is corroborated by the four voices Falcon was able to record. However, the thermal scanner only found three heat signatures. Assuming they belong to Baby Jay and the two henchmen we encountered…”

“Whoever was the mastermind didn’t leave one,” Kai finished. His lips twisted into a frown as he processed the same information Zane had been pondering. “Are you sure it wasn’t just a recording? Maybe he was somewhere else and they just called in or something.”

“I am positive. I had Pixal tap into the city’s communication grid to monitor for any incoming transmissions. I also disabled the building’s power after the henchmen started sealing the room. Whatever manifested had no help from technology.”

“Great, I just love fighting magic users. Why couldn’t it just be some guy in a mask?” Kai complained. Zane was inclined to agree. Things were never simple when the mystic arts were involved. “Any ideas on what it could be?”

“I have identified a few possibilities, but none that I would consider likely. I intend to take Baby Jay back to the warehouse tonight while you and Cole attend the party.” Zane registered a slight temperature rise as Kai’s edge returned. He thought it was safe to reveal more of the plan. That was clearly a mistake.

“Are you shitting me Zane? I thought you and Pixal went there last night? Why take the kid back there now?”

“Because we did not find anything. While it may be that there is truly nothing to find, I cannot shake the feeling that we are missing something. I hope that by bringing Baby Jay along, he may be able to identify something that we do not know is important.” The voice that sounded very similar to Jay was one he had learned to trust. If it was saying they were missing something, he was inclined to believe it.

Kai went quiet for a long moment. There was an internal argument going on that Zane couldn’t hope to follow. His brothers’ thought processes were complicated at the best of times. Kai’s volatility made him especially hard to follow. Now was no exception.

“At least tell me you two aren’t going alone.” Kai choosing not to fight was an unexpected but not unwelcomed outcome.

“I am sure Pixal would be willing to accompany us. In the event that she is unavailable, we will spend the night at the monastery,” Zane replied. He had no intention of doing this alone. The promise made to Kai was not done so lightly.

“Fine. Just be careful. We already lost the kid once, I don’t want it to happen again.”

“Do not worry. It is highly unlikely that anything significant happens. In the event that we require assistance, you will be the first to know.”

Kai still didn’t look happy, but the response was enough to placate him. His fiery brother nodded once before moving to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

“Hey, has your ice come back yet?” Truthfully, Zane didn’t know. He hadn’t thought so much as thought about his power since the battle with the Oni, let alone try to use it. He stretched out a hand and willed the bottle to freeze.

Error. Application not found.

That was the first error message that truly concerned him. The ability to control ice was more than just a useful tool, it was an important part of him. His ice powers were integral to his active cooling system. If they weren’t working properly, then his continued operation was in danger.

“It appears not. I take it your powers are also not responding.”

“Nope,” Kai replied, popping the ‘p’ at the end. “Can’t even light a candle right now. Cole’s stuck at normal strength too. You should talk to him before we leave, by the way. Dude deserves to know what’s going on.”

That was not a conversation Zane was eager to have. Cole was already stressed. He didn’t want to add to it. Kai would tell the Black Ninja what was going on if Zane didn’t though. Finding out about the plan through a third party would only make the inevitable fall out worse.

“I will be sure to speak with him after he is finished with his training exercises.”

It was a test. Kai wanted to see how he would respond. The answer should have been obvious, but Zane was starting to see a growing disconnect. Normally he could read his brothers fairly easily. Having misjudged the Masters of Earth and Fire so severely in the last 72 hours was a sign that they were no longer on the same page. That was a far bigger issue than anything on the conspiracy board. He could do a lot on his own, but Cole was right. They weren’t going to fix anything if they didn’t work together.

The quartet worked through morning stretches after breakfast. It was Cole’s day to lead, and he spent most of the routine giving instructions from the sidelines. Sleeping on the couch left a nasty kink in his neck – shut up Kai – so he spent most of the time trying to release the tension.

They followed essentially the same practice as yesterday. Baby Jay was a quick study and didn’t need much guidance through the stuff Kai had already walked through. Cole threw in a couple of new poses to keep things interesting, and the kid picked it up easily.

Kai joined midway through. Cole noticed – not for the first time – how much life Baby Jay seemed to inspire in the Red Ninja. He was more genuine when the kid was around. The smiles weren’t as forced, and the laughter was a little bit fuller. The excitement during their gaming session last night was one of the few times he’d seen Firefly truly excited about something. It was nice to see improvement, but there was danger there too. Cole wasn’t sure what would happen when they sent the little guy home. Would this version of Kai stick around, or would he slide back into the void?

The answer, good or bad, would come in time. Seeing the real Kai for the first time in years was worth savoring. Cole had started to wonder if this version of his brother was gone forever. Apparently all it took was a scared teenager that may or may not be able to control lightning to bring it out. It was a lot like when they first picked up Lloyd. Kai locked himself in Big Brother Mode when they figured out that was what Shortstack needed.

Maybe he just needs someone to mentor. He hasn’t really been the same since Lloyd stopped needing the support.

Cole filed that thought away for the future. They could worry about other students after they finished training the one they already had.

Originally he’d planned on running Baby Jay through some strength tests. They needed to find the kid’s maxes before setting up a program. That went out the window when they slept in. Cole was supposed to meet his dad at 12:00, and it was already after 09:00. The estate was in Ninjago City, so they really only had about an hour to work with. That wasn’t enough time to get through everything he had in mind. They would have to pivot to more cardio and try again later.

It was going to be short. A two-mile loop through the forest was about all they had time for. Kai decided to join after finding out they weren’t going to be lifting. Cole was pretty sure he only wanted to goof off with Baby Jay. It got the kid excited though, so Cole wasn’t going to complain.

Zane asking to join was a shocker. Ice Box hadn’t spent more than an hour with them in almost a week. It was a welcome surprise though. As much as Cole loved Kai and Baby Jay, it would be nice to have someone that wasn’t a chaos gremlin to talk to for a little while.

They separated about halfway into the run. Baby Jay’s stamina was lacking, so Kai hung back while the kid caught his breath. Cole didn’t bother waiting for them. There wasn’t anything in the forest that Kai – powers or no powers – couldn’t handle. He and Zane kept up the pace. They were about a quarter mile ahead when the White Ninja started a conversation.

“Cole. I would like to inform you of my plans for this afternoon. As you and Kai will be busy preparing for the party tonight, I will be starting Baby Jay’s ninjitsu training. There are some leads in the city I wish to investigate, and I believe it will be beneficial to bring him with me.”

He almost stumbled at the announcement. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. The training Zane had been tasked with couldn’t be done effectively in the monastery. Still, it would have been nice if he picked a day when the rest of the team could provide some back up.

“You sure that’s a good idea? I don’t know how much help Kai and I will be if you guys run into trouble,” he said. Zane dismissed the concern with a wave of the hand. It was starting to become a familiar motion. Cole wasn’t sure why – he was used to being ignored at this point – but the gesture irritated him.

“I assure you we will be fine. We will only be visiting the Explorer’s Club and the warehouse we rescued Baby Jay from. Pixal will also be joining us. Should we encounter any difficulties, you and Kai will be notified.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. Well, knowing Pixal would be there did. She could keep Zane in check better than anyone. That wasn’t enough to overcome the unease though. Going out into the city was probably a necessary risk. Going back to the place the kid had been held hostage sounded like a dumb one.

Normally he wouldn’t question it. Zane was usually an incredibly reliable person. Whatever was going on with him gave Cole pause. Pixal mentioned how the White Ninja kept zoning out on her. Kai noted how twitchy he had been. Then there was the language. Zane was always proper, but he had been sounding almost robotic since they met up prior to the rescue. Jay had flushed the emotionless cadence from the nindroid’s system shortly after they figured out he was more metal than meat. Something must be seriously wrong if it was popping up now.

Zane wasn’t the only one that statement applied to right now. People he should know like the back of his hand were starting to become strangers. Kai’s emotional state was getting worse. Baby Jay kept it stabilized but the distance between the highs and lows was growing. If things started to get violent, Cole wasn’t sure what he would have to – or even could – do.

Trouble was brewing at home, but the concern for those abroad was just as great. No one had heard from Lloyd or Nya since that disastrous breakfast. He had no idea where they were or if they were okay. Those two were the least likely to do something stupid, but they weren’t invincible. The thought that something unexpected could take them out kept Cole up at night.

The panic meter for Master Wu and Misako was lower but climbing. He knew where they were in theory. Where they were in practice was the problem. Domu was only a couple of days away, and Master Wu could make it in half the time if Misako was feeling bold enough to let him drive. They should have been back a long time ago. They either ran into trouble – First Realm help whatever thought about messing with those two – or were following a lead. He sincerely hoped it was the latter. Losing Wu again might break him.

He needed Jay and Nya. One of them would know what to do. They were usually the ones that fixed Zane when something went haywire. He needed Lloyd and Master Wu. They could get through to Kai in ways he couldn’t. He needed everybody, and for one reason or another they weren’t around to help.

Cole wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. Jay going MIA wasn’t easy to deal with, but it was manageable. Adding the trouble in the city to that made things a lot harder, but he was confident he could deal with it. Having to struggle through all of it without the ones he called brothers was going to be impossible. It was going to crush him eventually. The hope that they could figure this out was fading with every passing day.

“…do you think Cole?” Cole was just now realizing that Zane had never stopped talking.

“I, uh. Just be careful, okay?” he replied. If Zane was upset about being ignored, he didn’t show it. That was another red flag that probably needed attention. It was going to have to get in line - they were currently beyond capacity when it came to pending catastrophes.

“Of course. Do not worry about us. You should probably return to the monastery and prepare. It is nearly 10:00, and I anticipate it will take at least two hours to reach your father’s estate,” Zane replied matter-of-factly.

“Dammit. I’ll have to shower at his place. Can you tell Kai and Baby Jay where I went?” Cole swore as he started back towards the mountain. Zane nodded an affirmative before waving goodbye. “Kai already knows where to go. He’s supposed to be there by 17:00, so make sure he leaves with enough time…”

“I understand Cole. I will make sure everyone is where they need to be. You need only be concerned with arriving to your practice on time,” Zane interrupted. Cole gave a sheepish smile before darting off.

Maybe he was worrying too much. Kai was stronger than anyone gave him credit for. Zane, while weird, was still being rational. Lloyd and Nya could more than handle themselves. Master Wu and Misako were going to a library for crying out loud. Even Jay could take care of himself. Probably. Maybe. Okay, maybe he was worth being concerned about. Bluebell was resourceful though. He was probably the second most likely to survive being stuck in a strange world provided he kept his head on straight.

Having faith in his found family shouldn’t be this hard. Everyone was fully capable of taking care of themselves. They’d done it when they weren’t old enough to vote. Hell, Kai had been doing it since he was six. They didn’t truly need each other. That was really what drove Cole’s anxiety. The fear of failure paled in comparison to the understanding that his loved ones might chose to just not come back.

Chapter Text

Cole had to admit that he was impressed. Nya was famous for being a world-class disaster on the dance floor. The fact that Ninja Jay had almost dragged her to a victory was astonishing. Sure, they weren’t actually dancing, but that show was awesome enough that he didn’t care.

Using one of Nya’s strengths like that was probably the only way they would have been able to compete. It was a shame they couldn’t pull off the last stunt, but that was probably for the best. They didn’t have the chemistry to go toe to toe with the big shots in the next round.

Kai took off as soon as the contest ended. Cole watched him run across to the floor to where Nya and Chen were tangled. He could tell a fight was about to break out, and the older Smith sibling slid into the middle of it as soon as the prone prancers regained their feet.

Zane also made a beeline for the dance floor. Instead of helping their teammate, he went for Ninja Jay. It was kind of funny watching him scare the shit out of someone else for a change. Cole was tempted to join them, but it looked like Zane had a plan. Inserting himself into the middle of it wouldn’t help anything.

Lloyd sidled up to him after Zane and Kai took off. Dragon Boy flicked his gaze between Nya and Ninja Jay. He was deep in thought, much like he had been all week. This time though, Cole had a feeling he knew what was bothering the little guy.

“Hey Shrimp, what’s on your mind?”

“Huh? Oh, uh. Nothing. I was just…” Lloyd fumbled for a minute, apparently surprised that Cole bothered to say anything. “Did you notice anything weird about their dance?”

That spar disguised as an aggressive freestyle was good enough to fool any regular person and most contest judges. Anyone with experience in karate could see through the illusion, and someone that knew both would understand that there was something else going on.

“You mean how it wasn’t a dance at all?” Cole answered. Lloyd visibly brightened at the acknowledgement.

“Exactly! That looked way more like a real fight.”

“Ninja Jay did a really good job of making it look like it was rehearsed. I’ve seen my parents do some of those moves before. I invented one of them too…”

Lloyd quirked an eyebrow at the last comment. Cole did his best to hide the blush. “…uh, w-what else did you see?”

“…It felt like he knew every move Nya was going to make before she did. I don’t care how good you are, nobody can anticipate a stranger like that,” he added. Cole noticed the same thing. Every move was just a little bit off. He’d chalked it up to bad chemistry at first. Now that Lloyd mentioned it, the timing errors were always early. Ninja Jay had never been late, not even on that failed flip at the end. “I don’t think he was trying that hard either.”

Cole agreed on that. He knew what a dancer putting their heart into a routine looked like. Even Nya, as bad as she was, tried hard the whole time. Ninja Jay never did. He was just going through the motions.

There was something else bothering Lloyd. Cole could practically feel the anxiety rolling off the team leader. He wasn’t going to let Lloyd hold it inside this time. They were still doing that with whatever zombified him on Monday.

“That’s not the only thing, is it? What else are you worried about?”

“I-I don’t know,” Lloyd answered. Based on the way the kid’s forehead was scrunched, Cole was pretty sure it was the truth this time. “There’s something else there but I can’t put my finger on it. One thing I do know is that Nya was on to something. There’s definitely something weird about that guy. I’m just not sure if it’s good weird or bad weird yet.”

The team had a couple of hours to kill before the big finale. Nya and Lloyd sequestered themselves in a corner to talk about Ninja Jay related things. Zane wandered off on a side quest. He didn’t say where he was going and nobody bothered to ask. Kai finally put his shirt back on now that the risk of it getting dirty was minimal.

They were talking about who they thought would win the competition when a high-pitched voice called out.

“Cole! Oh Cole! Ah, there you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Cole went beet red. Weaving through the crowd was a slim middle-aged woman in a bright blue dress with a sparkly lightning bolt stitched into the side. Blonde hair fluttered in the wind as the high heeled siren picket her way through the crowd.

“Oh I’m so glad you could make it! Would you give this to your mother when you see her? It’s that spinach dip recipe she was asking about. I’ve been meaning to stop by all week but just haven’t found the time!” She fished a recipe card out of her dress – that thing had pockets? – and held it out expectantly,

“Uh, s-sure. I can do that Mrs. G,” Cole stammered as he took the paper. Kai looked between the two of them with wide eyes.

“Thank you so much! Oh I better go. Can’t be late for my own show! I’ll see you on Thursday, Pebble!” She clicked off as quickly as she left. Cole stood dumbfounded as he watched her disappear into the crowd.

Kai clearing his throat eventually brought him back to reality. Hair Gel’s expression would have been hilarious if Cole wasn’t currently dying of embarrassment.

“Was that…”

“Yes.”

“How do you…”

“She’s my piano teacher. Let it go Kai,” Cole said sternly. Hopefully the tone would be enough to get him to not ask the next question.

“Cole. Buddy. Man to man. Do you…”

“...if you tell anyone, I will stuff you in your gym locker.”

Kai hesitated for a second before collapsing into a fit of laughter. Cole felt the blush deepen. It was a really good thing everyone else was off doing other things right now.

“Don’t worry dude, your secret’s safe with me.”

Kai might have promised not to tell, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t crack jokes. The next two hours were an avalanche of allusion and innuendo. It only got worse as the others returned. Everyone knew there was an inside joke that they weren’t being included in. Cole refused to let them in on it and Kai was having too much fun to break his promise.

The start of the show finally brought an end to the misery. The second stage of the competition was being held in front of the stage. Velvet ropes segregated the audience from the makeshift floor. Thanks to his and Kai’s diligence, they once again got a really good view.

“Gooood evening ladies and gentlemen!” The guy in the brown suit from earlier called into the mic. He did a little dance as he said it and elicited a groan from the crowd. “We’d like to thank you all for sticking around for our little night cap. We’ll be showcasing some of Ninjago City’s most talented dancers along with its hottest artist! So, without further ado, I present to you, the Dangerbuff Brothers!”

A bass heavy beat started to play as the two winners from earlier danced onto stage. Cole nodded in time as they started into their routine. It was a classic breaking style that he’d seen some people use on the streets in Jamanakai. it was pretty basic, but they were in sync the whole time and some of the power moves were cool. The air flare into an elbow drop at the end was really well done. It wasn’t the best set he’d ever seen, but for a pair of amateurs they set the bar high.

Two more pairs came on after. The difference between them and the first group was staggering. The choreography was some of the best he’d seen. The first couple twisted out to a samba that sizzled with every step. Their moves were precise and portrayed so much emotion that Cole could feel the passion from across the floor. The second team got more modern but followed a similar script. Every movement was smooth, every lock was sharp. Getting to watch this for free felt like stealing.

“And now, we have Lilly and Lou Brookstone!”

Oh no.

“Cole! It’s your parents!” Kai stage whispered. Cole could only groan. He forgot they were performing tonight. It wasn’t that he didn’t like watching them, it was just they always found a way to embarrass him. That and Kai made the same joke every time they got on stage.

A jazzy tune came on over the speakers, and his parents came out swinging. Literally. Lou and Lilly tapped out from behind the curtain, hand in hand and feet moving a mile a minute. They twisted and turned their way to center stage before breaking down into a Charleston. Each took a turn showing off their impressive footwork before coming together for the big finish.

Lilly took the lead, wrapping Lou up as they spun in and out of each other’s arms. After the final roll out, where they extended their arms as far as possible, Lou slid in and down between her legs. Lilly pulled him back after he got all the way under, then lifted him in the air. Lou hung in the air for a second as she released the grip. Lilly caught him by the way down, cradled him like a newborn, and finished the routine with a kiss.

It was one of their most popular routines. They pulled out a variation of it for major events, and the crowd ate it up every time. Cole couldn’t blame them. He’d seen it a thousand times as was still impressed. Lilly and Lou Brookstone were the city’s best dancers, and they let everyone know whenever they stepped on the floor.

The ushers started taking down the barriers as Lilly carried her husband off the floor. Lou pointed and waved at his son on the way out. Kai’s ribbing resumed, but Cole was more concerned with keeping everyone together. People were pushing and shoving to get closer to the stage. He wrapped one arm around Kai and the other around Lloyd to make sure his two smaller friends didn’t get lost in the crowd.

Soon after everyone settled into their spots, the lights started to dim. Fog rolled in from backstage, and strobe lights flashed in the darkness. A pop beat filled the air. The energy in the crowd spiked as a mezzo-soprano voice rang out into the night. The strobe lights solidified into a light blue glow in the background as sparks rained down from the scaffolding. A singular spotlight shown as Lady Lightning made her way out from behind the curtain.

She was far and away Ninjago City’s best voice. The woman had won every singing contest she entered for the last ten years. It annoyed the hell out of Cole’s dad at first. She beat him out for the Blade Cup for her first win and again in Ninjago Idol the year after. His old man finally had to admit defeat after spending eight months preparing for The Masked Musician only to see her oust him in the first round.

Lilly was the one that actually put an end to the one-sided feud. The vibrant vocalist was one of her closest friends. It was fun watching her husband fume over losing, but she was getting tired of having to play peacekeeper every time they were in the same room.

Cole ended up being the olive branch. Learning how to play piano from Lady Lightning was supposed to be the thing that got Lou to finally let go of his jealousy. Why his mom thought that was a good idea he had no idea. It worked though. The Hotstepper finally buried the hatchet after he saw how happy it made his little boy. That and having someone else that could play the piano meant he and Lilly could come up with new dance moves.

The piano lessons were what sparked Cole’s interest in music. The theory behind it came naturally. Lady Lightning saw it and encouraged him to explore different styles. They were supposed to have weekly sessions, but he only actually practiced once a month. The rest of the time they picked apart different songs and examined what made them work.

Seven-year-old Cole was not a social creature. She was about the only person he liked that wasn’t his parents. Then he met Lady Lightning’s son. Jay Gordon wasn’t the natural musician his mother was. He struggled to follow the more technical conversations but sat in on them anyway. At no point in the first six months did he even try to play the piano.

Cole hadn’t paid the kid much mind at first. Jay had a tendency to fade into the background if you weren’t actively paying attention to him. He never drew attention to himself, and Cole never made an effort to connect. Even so, he was part of the experience.

For a kid that melted into the scenery so easily, it was oddly apparent the one time he wasn’t there. Cole noticed immediately when he sat down that the third member of the crew wasn’t there. They had to stop the lesson ten minutes in because the absence was so unsettling.

It turned out that he was missing because some bullies at school decided to steal his scarf. Cole took one look at the blubbering mess hiding under a pile of bed sheets and decided to do something about it. They didn’t know each other very well, but seeing the wallflower like this pulled at some heartstrings.

As it so happened, they went to the same school. Cole never would have known if he hadn’t seen Jay’s tormentors parading the article of clothing around like a war trophy. Getting it back was light work – all it cost him was an afternoon of detention and an ass chewing from his father. The pure glee in the kid’s eyes upon its return made it worthwhile. It was like nobody had ever done anything nice for the kid.

Jay returned the favor two months later. Cole’s birthdays were usually pretty sad affairs. His mother would bake a cake and his father would sing Happy Birthday. The uncles would send presents and Cole would pretend to like getting a football for the fourth year in a row. This one was shaping up to be the same until he saw the last gift. The neatly wrapped parcel in blue and gold paper was too professionally done to be sent by any of his family members.

Inside the package was a set of gold headphones. ‘CB’ had been inscribed on the left speaker cover, and a pair of tied eighth noted decorated the right. His parents were far from struggling financially, but they couldn’t imagine buying – let alone giving away – something so expensive.

The sender didn’t leave a card. It was pretty easy to guess that it came from the Gordons. They were the only ones rich enough to spend like that. He tried to return them because holy shit he could not accept something like that from people he barely knew, but Mrs. Gordon wouldn’t allow it. She said it was a thank you for being such a wonderful student and that he deserved all the nice things and, most importantly, that she didn’t send them.

Jay was the culprit. It was supposed to be payment for getting his scarf back. He was scared Cole would reject it if he knew it came from the weird kid down the street. It wasn’t true but trying to convince the kid of that was pointless when he’d just spent ten minutes trying to get Mrs. Gordon to take them back.

He eventually caved when Jay told him that he didn’t buy the headphones. They were something he made and were designed specifically for Cole’s use. There was no way he could send them back after hearing that.

They ended up being the best gift he would ever get. Cole didn’t expect them to work – who would think something an eight-year-old designed would – and was extremely surprised when they did. The sound quality was way above anything he could have bought at the store. They were also durable as hell. In the seven years since receiving them, Cole never had to buy a replacement.

He never forgot that day. It was the first step towards his first friendship. There was a lot more that had to happen before they got to where they were today, but that moment was what started it all.

Lady Lightning continued her set, but Cole couldn’t pay attention. He was too busy thinking about Jay. It was finally setting in that his best friend was gone. Through the glitz and glamour of Mrs. Gordon’s performance, all he could think about was the quiet kid who faded into the shadows.

Lloyd made a mistake. It was a stupid one that – provided he lived through the experience – would never be lived down.

Saturday was a semi open day. They planned to meet later that night to iron out a plan for dealing with the second shadow. The dark figure hadn’t shown up since that first night, but Lloyd also hadn’t taken to the skies since then. Nya wouldn’t let him until the thing was caught. Being grounded sucked, especially when it was by someone that wasn’t his mom.

None of his friends were available until then. Zane and Kai were working on projects with their dads, Nya was helping her mom run the shop, and Cole didn’t answer. His mom got called in to work, so Lloyd was faced with a day home alone. It shouldn’t have been an issue. This was far from the first time something like this happened. Normally he could handle a few hours of solitude.

Today was different. From Jay vanishing to Ninja Jay appearing to whatever freak was haunting the rooftops, Lloyd’s mind couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had been going on the last few days. There was also the dream that played on repeat every night. It still occupied the back of his mind at every waking hour.

He had to do something to occupy his mind. Free running was usually the safe way to do that. With that option off the table, the next best thing to do would be to train. It was something he should be doing anyway. All of them would need to sharpen their combat skills if Master Wu was right about the mechs being useless against the shadow.

That, unfortunately, wasn’t something that could be done at home. The apartment was way too small to do the kinds of things he had in mind. A trip to the warehouse was in order. With everyone preoccupied, he was going to have to make it alone.

There were some areas in the city that travelling on foot was okay. Little Ignacia and Domu Square were generally safe spaces. Jamanakai Heights and Downtown were mixed bags. More often than not someone said something they shouldn’t to a 15-year-old, but it was rare that they physically did anything. He’d never been in Shintaro Terrace before – the gated community only let select people in, and he was definitely not on the list.

The other two districts were always dangerous. Metalonia Industrial Park had basically become No Man’s Land thanks to his dad’s repeated invasion attempts. The Shark Army always came from the same place and always tore up the same neighborhood. Anyone that could afford to move out did, and the district turned into a free for all zone. The Stiix Dockyards were just as unsafe but for different reasons. It was the shady part of town, home to backroom deals and the kind of crime that kept middle aged housewives up at night.

Their warehouse was technically in Stiix, but it was so close to the Metalonia border that they never had to venture into the darker parts of the zone. Still, the only other ways to get to the hideout was to either take the transport tube from Domu or cross the Industrial Complex. With the school closed there was really only one option.

Not taking the rooftops was a big mistake. Nya might have forbidden him from using them, but even with another mad man up there they were still way safer than walking. He didn’t want to upset her and ended up taking the bus like a normal person. It was the same as any other ride – the other passengers flocked to the opposite side of the vehicle and the driver deliberately dropped him off two stops from the one he intended to get off at.

He ended up in the heart of the district. It was one of the livelier streets, featuring a whopping three businesses still in operation. Graffiti was scrawled on almost every surface. Red and black lines marred a lot of the buildings. It reminded him of the Red Visors. Unagami’s fan club had a similar color scheme. In fact, his arcade was supposed to be somewhere in this part of town.

The warehouse was about a thirty-minute walk from here. Getting on another bus wouldn’t get him any closer – it was more likely that the driver would drop him off in the heart of Stiix – so he either had go on foot or steal a bike. He wasn’t desperate enough for option two yet, but the more time passed the more it seemed like a good idea.

Four blocks in the graffiti started to change. Bright green and a vibrant purple replaced the heavy hues of before. Pictures of rodents appeared on a lot of buildings. He had a bad feeling he’d just stumbled into somewhere he definitely should not be.

Prime Empire wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Fan clubs had been around since its inception. As the league grew in popularity, more and more people started to pick their favorite gamer. Nearly everyone in the city belonged to one of the Original Seven’s clubs at the crew’s peak. Groups that size were bound to attract some bad apples, and the gaming syndicate was no different. Some of the more hardcore fans took things way too seriously. Any challenge to their Chosen One was deemed a personal insult. It wasn’t uncommon for things to get violent, and the advent of the internet only made it worse.

That was ultimately what led the Seven to introduce challenges. It helped settle arguments not just between fans new and old, but also between rival clubs. It cut the number of gaming-related hospitalizations by over 80%. It wasn’t a perfect fix, but it did enough.

The number dipped further after the Original Seven retired. There were a lot more gamers to follow after the last Master hung up their controller, and none of the new ones had the pull to consolidate fans like the creators had.

Big fan clubs dissolved as the old fans aged out, but time didn’t kill the clubs completely. Most of the rational members set up bars or shops themed around their old favorites. Fans of the Original Master of Rhythm owned a music shop that Cole frequented, and Zane was fond of the museum the Original Master of Puzzles opened in Domu.

The superfans were still a problem. Rather than do something sensible like the others, they formed street gangs. Metalonia had always been embroiled in their never-ending turf war, and it was only made worse by his dad driving all the reasonable people out.

Zones of control were always changing. Lloyd usually avoided the mess by staying on top of it. No one ever bothered looking up for someone to terrorize. Even if they did, having to scale a building was a pretty good deterrent for anyone wanting to mess with him.

He’d never walked around at street level for that reason. Seeing the tagging for the first time would have been cool if it wasn’t so unnerving. It was bright, messy, and slightly crazed. There was no question that the artists were a little unhinged.

Lloyd had learned to trust his gut on a lot of things. It was rarely wrong. This was one of the times when he wished it was. Two blocks after the first Violet Rodentia appeared, so did the feeling of being watched. One pair of eyes turned in two. Then four. Then eight…

It was time to get out of there. Lloyd could hear the footsteps. He didn’t dare look back – seeing the pursuers wasn’t going to make things any better. The growing mob matched the quickened pace. Snickers echoed from alleyways as they dug deeper into the district. It didn’t matter how fast or far he ran, Lloyd knew there was no escape. This was going to get messy and it was no one’s fault but his own.

Chapter Text

Kai had never been a huge fan of security detail. Plainclothes work wasn’t as bad because he got to mingle with the crowd. Sentry duty though? It was a lot of walking around and looking at empty rooms. There was only so much of that he could do before getting bored.

The party was being held at some rich person’s estate near the northern border of the city. The two-story manor was laid out like a giant ‘U’. The long side of the building faced the street while the two wings framed a large square of grass in the back. A semicircle driveway with a rose bush and fountain led to the front door. A large square of grass formed the backyard. Trimmed hedges formed the border of the property. It wasn’t the fanciest house in the neighborhood, but there was definitely money here.

The event was set up in the backyard. Tables lined with finger sandwiches and slices of dessert were set up on patio. A temporary floor had been installed over the grass so all the rich people could keep their shoes clean. Spanning about a third of the grassy area, it had tables dressed with gold cloths and white floral arrangements. The small stage in the back was currently empty. Kai knew it wouldn’t stay that way. The Royal Blacksmiths would be occupying it before long.

There were four parts to the security detail. A group of fifteen guards were stationed amongst the party goers. They were the quick response unit for any trouble that developed on the ground. A second squad was stationed on the roof. The overwatch team was supposed to support the ground group by watching for suspicious movement from the air. Those two teams were in charge of actively watching the party. The other half of the team was tasked with watching the interior. Eight sentries patrolled the four main hallways. Another eight watched the security cameras from a truck parked in the front yard.

Kai was stuck on the second team. He was a last minute addition, and none of the guards assigned to the actual party were willing to give up their assignment. There was a fight over it – one he didn’t start – and in the end they decided it was best to stick him inside.

Part of it was greeting guests. The invitees had to pass through the main hall to get to backyard. The interior team was in charge of seeing them through. It was a black-tie event, and everyone that passed through the checkpoint had suits and dresses that were worth more than the entirety of Ignacia.

Kai knew there was a whole lot of money here purely by the way they all dressed. Rich people parties all followed the same curve – the simpler the dress the more money was involved. The wealthy didn’t like to show off with flashy clothes and gaudy jewelry. They were quiet about it because they didn’t need to be loud. If you recognized what they were wearing, then that meant you were in the same class.

The group that came through was very much at the wealthy end of the spectrum. Everything was simple. From the suits and cufflinks to the dresses and necklaces, nothing looked that impressive at first glance. Kai knew better though. He recognized the tailoring on most of the suits. The artisan that made them only put out a few pieces a year. The stones were in a similar boat. There were only a handful of people capable of making cuts so finely and precisely.

Kai started his rounds after the last of the guests was escorted to the yard. He thought it was going to be a boring assignment at first. Walking from empty room to empty parlor to empty reading nook didn’t sound appealing. After one circuit around the house, that assumption proved to be correct. This sucked.

The only saving grace was that there was cool stuff to look at. Every room, regardless of the purpose, sported some weird artifact or trophy. The weaponry was really cool. It didn’t matter how old the piece was, every item looked as good as the day it was forged.

Kai wished he was that good. Being able to create something that not only stood the test of time but kicked its ass was the dream of everyone that picked up a hand tool. It showed that one had mastered a craft. It was a point of pride. It was something he would never achieve. As much as he wanted to believe it was possible, the fact remained that he was a shitty blacksmith. The vast majority of the stuff he created either cracked or lost its edge after a few uses. The Golden Weapons were a prime example. They were his most important project and the team got exactly one use out of them.

He took a break after the second circuit. Part of the reason why they stationed two guards in each corridor was so one could take a rest and watch the main hall every now and then. Kai used his to watch the Royal Blacksmiths instead. Cole would be coming on soon, and he was not going to miss it.

He managed to slip out just in time. Lou and his crew were just finishing their opening number. Kai leaned casually against the wall while the Blacksmiths lined up for their next song. Cole hadn’t said much about what part he had to play, only that he was supposed to be featured in the second piece. The Rock Breaker had been really annoyed with whatever they had planned. That was how Kai knew it was going to be really good.

They started singing an old song. A really old song. It wasn’t Kai’s style, but it was perfect for the occasion. Lou’s melody was all about fancy clothes and being rich. The boys were as sharp as ever, but the show really started after the second chorus. A short instrumental played as Cole tap danced his way to center stage. His tuxedo looked like it cost more than every sword Kai had ever forged put together. The black coat and pants stood out vividly against the straight whites of the other singers' clothing. The contrast had to be by design.

The click-clack of tap shoes echoed in the night as Cole's feet moved with a grace that few could match. Kai marveled at how easy he made the routine look. For something that Twinkle Toes had thrown together that afternoon, it looked like he’d been practicing it forever. That was natural talent, and Kai never got tired of watching it.

Cole only danced for about twenty seconds before tapping his way back off the stage. It drew a huge round of applause though. Lou had to delay the next verse until the clapping died down. Most anyone would have been proud of the moment. Kai knew Cole was dying on the inside though. The man might have put on a great stage face, but he knew his brother would rather be literally anywhere else right now.

“Uh, Mr. Red Ninja, sir, um,” the guy in his ear stammered. There was a sharp divide between how he was treated by the two teams. The outdoor crew didn’t like him at all. The indoor one was terrified of him. He wasn’t even trying to be intimidating right now. The reputation of being a bad ass slayer of demons and other things overrode that.

“I have a name you know. I’m not going to kill you if you use it,” he barked. It was a little mean, but he staring at other people’s better craftsmanship for the last two hours soured his mood.

“R-right. Er, um, K-Kai. T-there’s a disturbance in the east wing. Second floor showroom. Could you, um…”

“I’m on it.” Kai snipped before clicking off the comm link off. The room in question wasn’t far. Technically it was part of someone else’s route, but his slacking meant he was the closest.

Scared Monitor Man sent him to what looked like a library. Shelves filled with leatherbound books lined three of the walls. Tall windows with parted drapes spaced the fourth. The glow of lights from the party outside served as the space’s only light. Two oak tables and were placed at the far end, each with two chairs and a floral arrangement. Display cases dominated the middle. Like most of the owner’s collection, the stuff inside was ancient. Some of it was Serpentine, but a lot was from a culture he knew nothing about.

It didn’t look like there was anyone else in the room. Kai did two laps and didn’t see so much as a shadow. His instincts were screaming that something else was in there though. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t show itself until he left.

“All clear, moving to the next room.”

He had no intention of moving on. Halfway down the hall he leaned into the shadows to keep out of sight of the doorway.

“Monitor room, there’s definitely something in there. I’m waiting outside. Tell me when you see movement again,” he whispered into the comm.

“Roger that Red Nin, er, uh, Kai. I’ll keep an eye on it,” the attendant whispered back.

“Why are you whispering? You’re not the one that’s hiding.”

“Oh, uh…”

Kai tuned out the watchman’s apologies. The guy – still a teenager, really – was doing his best. This was his first day on the job and it showed. Kai knew how that went. It reminded him of those first few days training with Master Wu. Having someone experienced in the craft watching as you struggled to perform basic job functions was embarrassing. It also reminded him of Baby Jay. The kid Kai was working with was only three or four years older than the one he was supposed to be watching.

It didn’t take long for Flustered Monitor Boy to ping the comm. Kai didn’t actually need to be told something was going on – whatever was floundering in the room was loud enough to be heard from the hall. Whoever was there had to be either extremely confident that no one would hear or extraordinarily careless.

He was thankful that this part of the house was dark. It was a lot easier to sneak into the room when the lights were off. Kai stuck to the shadows and crept around the edges. He intended to surprise whoever had broken in. No one burgled a building that was under the Master of Fire’s protection.

The intruder was hiding in one of the drapes. Rather, they were stuck in one of the drapes. Whatever was caught in the heavy fabric couldn’t find its way out. Kai silently slinked closer. Coiled like a cat about to pounce, he waited for it to escape.

And waited.

And waited…

After about five minutes of watching the figure struggle, Kai’s legs started to fall asleep. He eventually lost patience and was about to rip the fabric off the window when his quarry finally untangled itself. Something shot out as the folds untangled. He was expecting everything from a man to an interdimensional demon. What he got was a pigeon. White wings and iridescent plumage zipped around the room as the bird relished its newfound freedom.

Kai stared dumbfounded as it cooed and pecked at the display case. A bird was pretty low on the list of things he expected to find, but at least it wasn’t an oni. Although, wrestling with something that weighed more than a bottle of hair gel would have been entertaining.

He was prepared to let the feathered flyer out until he realized that none of the windows opened. Each pane was set firmly into the wall. The little guy wasn’t getting out that way. Come to think of it, the bird couldn’t have gotten in that way either.

If you didn’t get in through the window, then how…

It pecked at the case once more before darting into the hallway. Kai didn’t think twice before giving chase. That was no ordinary pigeon. He didn’t know why it was special, only that it was.

“This is Kai to all points. There is a pigeon loose in the east wing and I think it’s up to something. Do whatever you have to to stop that bird!” he called into the comm. There were confused noises coming from the other lines. He heard a chair tip over in one and the clanging of metal in another. One of the outdoor guards just laughed.

“A pigeon? Really? The mighty Red Ninja is getting outdone by something that eats out of garbage cans?”

Kai didn’t dignify it with a response. Under normal circumstances he would have agreed. This wasn’t normal though. His gut was telling him this was important, and the voice that sounded a lot like Zane agreed.

The darkness that worked to his advantage before was now an obstacle. He could barely see the trespasser and thus had to rely on the sound of its wings. That got harder as more sentries joined the chase. Their footsteps drowned out every other sound in the corridors.

Kai wove through the hallways, guessing most of the time where his target had gone. It was only through glimpses of tail feathers and the occasional coo that he was able to keep up. It finally escaped when they made it to the main hall. The atrium at the center of the manor connected the other four halls. The bird could have gone down any of them, and there was no way Kai would know which one.

Four other guards met him in the middle. When asked if they’d seen the pigeon, all responded no. There were six exits from this room. Four led deeper into the manor while the other two went outside. Kai sent three to check the halls he hadn’t just come down. They probably wouldn’t find anything, but they had to at least try.

“How do you think it got in?” the lone remaining officer asked.

“I dunno. It didn’t come through the window in the room I found it though,” Kai replied. It was the million-dollar question. Their quarry could have flown in through a window, but all of the ones that could open should have long been secured. He knew for a fact that all of the ones in that section of the building had been. Someone had to let it in.

“Hey, Monitor Guy. How many people are on your screens right now?” Kai asked.

“You know, pigeons are really smart birds. People don’t give their intelligence enough credit,” the other guard said. Kai was only half paying attention. He was too busy listening to Terrified Monitor Guy struggle to count the number of humans on his screen.

“I, uh, I’m counting seven right now Mr. um, Kai, sir…”

“With a little bit of training, you can teach them to do just about anything.”

He asked the outdoor guards to check in. Each one reported in with varying amounts of sarcasm. All of them were still at their posts. Kai wasn’t very good at math, but even he could see something wasn’t right. Mortified Monitor Guy could account for seven guards. Kai was supposed to be the eighth, so…

“You can even train them to attack.”

Understanding dawned a second too late. The fake guard whistled, and Kai barely caught a glimpse of their smile before two dozen pigeons descended from the chandelier.

He didn’t have time to react. A cloud of feathers engulfed him while the imposter made their escape. Tiny claws pulled at his suit while beaks pecked at his face. It wasn’t the most vicious assault he’d ever endured, but it was competing for the most annoying.

Kai tried to fight them off, but their attack was relentless. Every time one got swatted away, two more took its place. Eventually he whipped into Spinjitzu with the hope that it would disperse the flock. It scared off some of the luckier birds. The half dozen that were too close got flash fried.

Seeing their friends get roasted was enough to dissuade the others from trying again. Kai and the birds stared each other down until screaming started outside. Whatever was going on in the backyard was more important than establishing dominance.

He broke eye contact and dashed out the back door. Bedlam had broken out as an army of aerial antagonists harassed the party goers. People were running in all directions. Some dove under tables while others tried to defend themselves with whatever they could find. One of the guards stumbled into a refreshment table and ended up face down in the punch bowl. Kai was pretty sure it was the same one that was making fun of him earlier.

Not so harmless now, are they jackass?

Kai ripped into a twister again and spun through the crowd. He was only trying to scare off as many pigeons as possible. Finding the phony security guard was secondary to the safety of the people. Luckily the birds didn’t seem to be interested in fighting. Most of them flew off before he even got close.

The civilians needed to be moved before anything else could be done. He spotted a trio of guards nearby trying to defend themselves with tiki torches and a serving platter. It was time for them to earn their pay.

“Hey!” he yelled before spinning over. The plainclothesmen stared wide eyed as he scattered their opponents. “We have to get the guests out of here! I’ll take care of the birds, you three start getting people inside!”

Two of them nodded before taking off to start shepherding panicking rich people. The third looked conflicted. Kai knew that expression. He’d worn it when Lloyd first started to take charge. It was the look of someone that thought they should be in charge. Whether that was true or not was irrelevant right now. There were more important things to worry about.

“I don’t give a shit if you have a problem taking orders from me or not. We have a job to do right now. So either help me or go hide under a table and stay out of my fucking way,” Kai snarled. The guard scowled but otherwise didn’t say anything. There wasn’t time to mess around with him. Kai spun up again and moved to help the others.

It took a while, but they eventually managed to clear the yard. Most of the security staff helped get the partiers inside while Kai’s Spinjitzu kept avian air force away. He collapsed in a chair after the last one was escorted inside. Sustaining a tornado for that long was taxing. Even the Oni fight – while much more difficult – hadn’t been as physically demanding.

Kai could feel his eyes closing as soon as his ass hit the chair. Someone was saying something, but the sound wasn’t registering. The last things he saw before passing out were a concerned looking guard and a dark figure in one of the second story windows.

He woke up in a bed that he didn’t recognize. It wasn’t alarming – this wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last – but also not ideal. Surprises were better when they came after breakfast.

Kai propped himself on his elbows, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and took stock of the room. Beige walls and velvet drapes boxed in a hardwood floor. Abstract paintings and a fancy chest of drawers served as decoration. The four-poster bed had a soft mattress and sheets with a thread counter higher than the Hanging Temple.

His jacket lay folded on the dresser. His shoes sat by the door. His shirt and pants were somewhere. It was a little embarrassing that someone else undressed him, but at least they left him with this sweet robe. It was softer and fluffier than the ones he usually stole from Jay.

His eyes flicked to the door when a butler walked in. The tuxedoed servant carried a serving platter with an omelet and glass of milk. Accepting food from strangers was probably a bad idea, but Kai’s stomach informed his brain that it was exactly what they were going to do.

“I am pleased to see that you are awake. The Master of the House would like to speak with you after you have finished your meal,” the butler said.

“Uhh, cool. Thanks. Who’s the Master of the… House?” Kai asked. The butler left before he could finish.

That was rude, but least he left the food

It wasn’t as good as Zane’s, but egg dish hit the spot. Kai didn’t realize how hungry he was until the milk was gone. As soon as the glass was drained, someone else walked in. This guy was dressed much more casually, coming in with jeans, a black hoodie, and a cut off denim jacket. A hat with a familiar looking lightning bolt poked out from under the hood.

“Hey,” the newcomer said as he leaned against the door frame. “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“Yeah, I like not being dead too. Is this…”

“No, I just work here. Name’s Scott. The head man had to take care of something downtown. I’m just here to make sure you’re taken care of. It’s not every day you find a ninja passed out in your backyard y’know.”

Not every day I pass out in someone’s backyard either.

“Uh, thanks. You wouldn’t happen to know where my clothes are, would you?” Kai asked. Scott grimaced, and Kai got the feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Yeah, sorry man. That suit is fucked. The birds shredded everything you didn’t burn. The only thing we could save was your shoes.”

That was Kai’s only good suit. Really it was his only nice clothing outside of the ceremonial robes. Losing it to a bunch of pigeons was both embarrassing and irritating. It could have been worse though – he could have torched the new gi Pixal had given him four days ago.

“Dammit. Guess I’ll have to replace that later. Uh, thanks for letting me borrow the robe,” he sighed.

“No problem man. It’s better than walking around in your boxers.”

You’re telling me. Thank Wu’s dad they’re fireproof…

The conversation about combustible clothing brought Kai’s attention to something important – if his fire wasn’t responding then how did he manage to burn everything? He clicked his fingers a couple of times and still couldn’t produce a flame. Its presence did feel a little bit closer though. Maybe it was finally starting to reawaken.

Kai rolled off the bed and stretched. He couldn’t lie there all day. There wasn’t a clock in the room, but the amount of light filtering through the curtains meant it had to be at least mid-morning. Him failing to make it back to the monastery last night probably sent Cole into a panic attack.

“Hey, you got a phone I can borrow? I should probably let someone know I’m alright.”

“Yeah, yeah. Follow me. There’s one downstairs you can use,” Scott said as he nodded towards the hallway.

Kai grabbed the remains of his suit jacket and followed the other man down the corridor. He had hoped that Zane might be able to stitch it back together. One look was all it took to dismiss that idea – the suit was well and truly a goner. Who knew pigeons could be so brutal?

The passageway looked a lot different in the daylight. The shadowed corners were less ominous, and the darkened shades in the paintings were more vibrant. The swords and random suit of armor in this wing practically sparkled.

He was admiring the décor when he happened to glance out the window. The state of the backyard stopped him in his tracks. Long black streaks crisscrossed the lawn. Charred tablecloths and melted chairs were still being removed from the scene. Kai knew his Spinjitzu still had some heat, but he didn’t know it had that much.

“Dude, you really put on a show last night. I’ve never seen anyone fight like that before,” Scott said as he walked back to the window. Kai could only nod in acknowledgement. He’d never seen anything like it either. His fire didn’t usually do that much environmental damage. At least, it didn’t now that he could control it.

“I didn’t, uh…”

“Hurt anyone? Nah. There were a few burns on one of the guards that got a little too close, but it's nothing some cream won’t fix,” Scott reassured. That was good. Kai wasn’t sure what he would do if he’d accidentally scorched the people he was trying to protect.

He was about to move on when another revelation hit – this was about the same spot the shadow had been in last night. It was hard to tell if the figure was real or just a product of his overtaxed mind, but Kai’s gut was telling him to investigate.

Nothing looked out of place at first glance. There were no empty hooks or unoccupied pedestals to suggest anything was missing. He was about to write it off as paranoia until Scott picked up a clue. Sitting in the threshold of a nearby room was a single, mostly white feather with a charred tip.

They rushed into the room, and Kai’s mental alarms immediately started going off. This was the same room he’d been called to last night. There was no need to search for more clues – he knew exactly where to look. Sure enough, the display case the pigeon had perched on had its lock broken. Pretty much everything was still in its place, but an empty indention meant something had gone missing.

The Mystery Thief wasn’t high on their list of priorities. Resolving the Jay Fiasco was objectively more important than anything else. However, this shadowy bitch was now at the top of Kai’s shit list. If they thought they could steal from a collection under his protection and get away with it, then they didn’t know who they were dealing with. Kai was going to show them why you don’t fuck with the Master of Fire.

Chapter Text

Jay shouldn’t have been surprised to find the gate locked. Things would have been too easy otherwise.

He thought getting the invitation to challenge the Game Master would be the hard part. Unagami said it was up to the arcade heads to decide who won the right to fight, and it stood to reason their criteria wouldn’t be simple or easy. Accomplishing that for the Master of Rhythm completely on accident was a present surprise.

It had to come with a catch. Nothing in life was ever that convenient. Getting into the zone ended up being harder than the actual challenge. The guardsman refused to let him in on the basis of being neither famous nor rich enough. The first one sounded ridiculous considering he couldn’t walk down the street without having to sign an autograph. The second part was definitely true – Jay couldn’t buy a loaf of bread if he wanted to right now.

He couldn’t try a different gate because the zone apparently only had one entrance and exit. How a city this meticulously designed allowed that to happen was beyond him. Maybe it was a security design to keep the riffraff out, but it would cause chaos if there was ever an emergency. Those were probably pretty frequent if Garmadon was as bad as the news made him out to be.

Hopping the fence was the next idea. It got struck down when he realized how tall the wall was. There was no way he was clearing it without Cole’s help. Climbing was also a non-starter. His powers might not be responding, but he could still feel the current racing through the metal bars. Jay was lightning resistant, not lightning proof, and getting zapped was not on the list of to-dos today.

“Looks like you could use some help.”

Jay didn’t think he could leap over the wall, but the shock of someone sneaking on him about put that idea to the test. He whipped around on landing to face the newcomer. As luck would have it, the mystery man was other than Ski-Ball Kid. That was almost more frightening than the jump scare. The last time they crossed paths a school nearly burned down.

“You! What are you doing here?! What do you want?! Uh, how did you find me?” Jay rambled. The kid’s face was hidden beneath the oversized hoodie, but it was obvious he was smirking underneath it.

“I saw someone that looked lost. What kind of good citizen would I be if I didn’t stop to help?” he replied with an impressive amount of sarcasm.

“Yeah, somehow I doubt you were just passing by and happened to see me. So, what do you want?”

“Like I said, I’m here to help. You need advice, and I’m here to give it.” Jay couldn’t deny that help would be appreciated. Hitting a literal wall with Shintaro blew up the day’s plan. He wasn’t sure if getting it from this guy was a good idea, but it wasn’t like anyone else was offering. The least he could do was listen.

“Okay, if you want to be useful, why can’t I get in? The guy at the gate said I’m not famous enough or something,” Jay complained.

“Because you’re not. Shintaro Heights is home to Ninjago City’s elites. Only the people at the top of their industries can get in. You’re going to need a good ranking in the Empire – top 25 at least – if you want them to open up for you. Or you need to know someone that already lives there. They’ll let you in if you’re escorted by somebody.”

It seemed the old standard of having to know someone to get somewhere also applied here. As did the fact that rich people set the bar and made the rest of society meet it. This was one of those things that transcended dimensional boundaries that Jay really wished was specific to Ninjago.

“So there’s nothing I can do until I get more famous? Great. How am I supposed to do that? Was beating Unagami not enough?”

“Nope. Not right now anyway. You’re going to have to get your name out there and win over more fans before you can do anything here. That win against Unagami got you in the door, and signing autographs at the opening ceremony helped your image, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Go win some matches, pick up a couple of Key-tanas, and keep interacting with people. That’s the best way to move up the ladder.”

Getting stonewalled at the doorstep of progress was annoying, but at least there was a path forward. He was going to have to go after the other Key-tanas anyway, and all the other stuff was likely to happen naturally on the way. Plus, he wasn’t going to have to worry about fighting through the arcade later.

“I would start in Domu Square if I was you. Little Ignacia’s Game Master won’t be ready until later in the week, and you won’t be able to do anything in Downtown until you get some wheels,” Ski-Ball Kid said.

“What about Jamanakai and Metalonia? What’s going on there?”

“You could go into Metalonia right now if you wanted, but I wouldn’t recommend it without a weapon. As for Jamanakai, well, I don’t know. You can try it, but I don’t know what you’ll find.”

That was good information. It was a lot easier to plan things out when he knew what the landscape looked like. There were questions about whether the source was trustworthy though. Jay was pretty sure Ski-Ball Kid wasn’t lying to him, but the kid wasn’t saying everything either. He was playing some kind of game behind the scenes and Jay was one of the pawns. The only thing he could do was play along for now. The scheme would come to light eventually.

“Don’t forget, each zone is going to specialize in a game type. It might be useful to figure out which Game Master is in what zone before you dive into it,” Ski-Ball Kid added.

“Do you know who’s running each district?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

“…”

“…Are you going to tell me who they are?” Jay finally asked.

“And ruin the surprise? Nah, I’ll let you figure it out on your own. You should be able to tell who you’re dealing with before you get into their arcade,” Ski-Ball Kid said with another invisible grin.

So much for you being helpful.

Jay had a lot more questions, but they were going to have to wait. The blaring of a car horn alerted him to the fact that they had been standing in the street for the last ten minutes. He took a few steps backwards to get out of the way and offered a sheepish apology smile as the car drove by. When the ill-tempered chauffeur cleared the gate, Jay found that his company had vanished

The disappearing act was annoying. There was still so much he wanted to know. It wasn’t like he could really complain though when he pulled the same stunt on the mini ninja yesterday.

It was time to get to work. Ski-Ball Kid may not be trustworthy, but his information was the only actionable intel Jay had to work with. It would be better to build a plan using it than wander around like a lost puppy. The consequences of it could be dealt with later.

Now that he had a new direction, Jay started formulating a plan. This wasn’t going to be as easy as it was with Unagami. Getting into Shintaro was going to require getting famous, and that meant trying to skate by under the radar wasn’t going to happen. Luckily the internet existed. He’d already gone viral once, it probably wouldn’t be that hard to do it again. He already had a moniker too. The ‘Ninja Jay’ persona was already established and yet undeveloped. It shouldn’t be hard to build it into something.

It also sounded like there were other preparations to be made. Ski-Ball Kid’s passing mention of needing wheels for the Downtown arcade was interesting. Jay remembered Unagami saying racing games were one of the categories after their first meeting. That arcade had to be somewhere in the city center. If he needed a ride to challenge the Game Master then things must be more intense than he originally thought.

The suggestion of getting a weapon for Metalonia was more than a little concerning. He knew that district was dangerous, but it didn’t seem that bad the few times he’d been there. Something must have changed now that the contest had started. It was a good thing he had an in with an arms dealer.

A mental map of the city was starting to come together. Rhythm was for sure in Shintaro, and Racing was probably in Downtown somewhere. It was a safe bet that either Fighting or Beat ‘Em Ups were in Metalonia. That left Puzzles, Shooters, and Redemption as the only unknown categories and Ignacia, Domu, Jamanakai, and Stiix as the possible districts. The only way to know for sure would be to explore each one.

Turning Ninja Jay into a household name was the current primary objective. Winning competitions was part of the equation, but Jay knew it wouldn’t be enough on its own. He needed to get his name out there in other ways. It was a good thing he knew an advertising expert.

He had been moving on autopilot since Ski-Ball Kid disappeared. It was a bad habit that he couldn’t – and wouldn’t – do anything about. Usually it was fairly harmless – accidentally building a grandfather clock was the worst thing to come out of one these episodes. Today it led to an inadvertent bus trip. Jay had no idea where he was or where he was going.

It would have been smart to get off at the next stop. There were a lot of things to do, and riding public transit wasn’t exactly a good use of time. There was a lone teenager in a green hoodie on the other side of the bus though. The emerald shade was much brighter and full of life than the one Ski-Ball Kid wore. More importantly, it looked a lot like the one the kid he’d tailed across the rooftops wore…

Following the mystery teen wasn’t important, but Jay was going to do it anyway. That itch that said something was going happen started acting up. Whether the event was good or bad was unclear – the most important thing was that he was there when it happened.

The bus ride ended in Metalonia. Jay watched the poor kid try to get off twice only to have the driver breeze by the stop. He finally escaped on the third try. Curiosity compelled Jay to do the same.

They ended up in spot he recognized. The hot dog cart was just down the street, and Unagami’s arcade was around the corner. He might have stopped by both if there wasn’t a green-clad teenager to shadow.

Jay decided to keep out of sight. Not just because he didn’t want the kid to know he had a follower, but also because he didn’t want anyone else to know either. It would be really hard to explain things if someone asked what was going on.

It didn’t take long to find a fire escape and climb onto a rooftop. Hoodie was about half a block away by that time. Just like before, Jay followed from a distance. It didn’t take long to confirm that this kid was the one he followed the other night.

One answer gave rise to another question. The guy had some serious parkour skills, so why was he walking on the street? No one that could fly like that chose to stay on the ground willingly. There had to be a reason he was doing so now.

Jay was glad he kept up the pursuit. Someone – or something – else joined the stalking party a few blocks later. It looked humanoid at first – two arms stuck out of a leather jacket and a pair of legs were covered by a pair of jeans. The only problem was the rat head. He couldn’t tell if it was a mask or not, but either way it was weird.

Hoodie eventually caught on to his new shadow. The kid picked up the pace, and so the anthropomorphic rodent. One rat man turned into two a block later. This one was a lot like the original, only it’s skin – fur? – was tinted purple. Two more joined soon after. One had an acidic green head. The other was a vibrant purple. The colors put to bed the idea of them being FrankenRats. They had to be regular people wearing masks. He had no clue why, but the health and safety of their target was a more pressing concern.

The kid took off running when the pack grew to eight rat-human hybrids. He left the first group in the dust. Jay was almost included in that. He wasn’t ready for the guy to suddenly start springing, nor did he expect him to be that fast. Hoodie stretched the cushion from half a block to two full ones almost instantly.

Outpacing the first group was easy. It was the second one that caused problems. Hoodie had to veer into an alleyway to avoid them. Six Rat Men followed, but two stood guard at the entrance. Jay passed silently over head and into what could only be described as a torture chamber.

The set up would have been admirable if it wasn’t so cruel. There had probably been buildings on this block at one point, but something had long since flattened them. All that was left was a series of walls and piles of rubble. It created a labyrinth, and the Rats were using it to their advantage. Scattered throughout the area were over a dozen other cosplayers. They blocked off some passages and opened others. It turned the maze into a house of horrors with no way out.

Jay found a perch on the tallest wall in the area and just watched. He counted two dozen Rat Men in the maze. Only two of them were chasing Hoodie. The others acted as semi-human walls to keep Hoodie moving in a specific direction. After the hunting party chased their prey passed a stationary member, the one not involved would move to seal off a different pathway. It created an ever-shifting labyrinth that would slowly wear out anyone unlucky enough to get caught in it.

There was no way Hoodie was getting away on his own. Breaking through the blockade was the only way out, and this kid didn’t look like he had that in him. It was a good thing he had a guardian angel ready to crack some skulls at a moment’s notice.

Jay identified three things that he would need to work around. The Rat Men had Hoodie trapped in an area that spanned nearly a city block. There was a lot of ground to cover, but that could work in his favor. It would be harder for the tormentors to communicate and react across that much distance. Then there was the movement. Every one of the twenty-five people involved in the chase were in near constant motion. The Rat Pack had to keep walling off new alleys so that Hoodie didn’t figure out he was going in a circle. Then there was the kid. He had good stamina but wouldn’t be able to run forever. Eventually he was going to get tired, and Jay didn’t want to find out what the gang would do if they caught up to him.

Despite everything else about his personality, Jay wasn’t a loud fighter anymore. The thrill of rushing into battle had worn off after getting beaten to a pulp over and over again. He wasn’t built – figuratively or literally – for punishment like Cole and Zane were. Adopting a more stealthy approach solved that. He became an ambush predator, flashing in and out of combat before the enemy knew what hit them.

Being a one-on-one fighter normally would have been a disadvantage in this situation. The way the lot was set up changed that. A few minutes of observation revealed a flaw that he could exploit, and it was one that being sneaky would be a strength.

He caught up with the hunting party and followed them for a little while. When one of them tagged out, he dropped down behind the man stepping out for a break. Two things immediately stuck out – the mask was really detailed, and the guy was absolutely shredded. The original plan was to duck in, knock the guy out, and scurry back up the wall. That probably wouldn’t work with someone this bulky. Kai could do it, but he wasn’t exactly available right now.

Jay couldn’t generate the power to take the guy down in one strike, so he was going to need a weapon. Fortunately the alley was full of prospective armaments. There were bricks and bottles and all sorts of fun things. He picked up a metal pipe, tested the weight, then whipped it at the back of his target’s knee. Jay dashed over as the guy crumpled. He picked up the pipe on the way and used it to send unruly rodent to Sleepytown. A wicked looking knife fell from the man’s grip as he hit the pavement.

So that’s why Ski-Ball Kid said I should get a weapon first…

That was a new and dangerous wrinkle. He kicked it into a nearby storm drain and covered the body with some garbage bags. Hopefully that would keep someone from waking him for a while. With that taken care of, Jay climbed back up the wall and moved towards his next victim.

He started towards the exit at the opposite end of the lot and picked off Rat Impersonators as they appeared. Each alley brought a new opportunity to try out a new takedown. He clubbed one guy over the head with a brick, stuffed a woman in a stack of tires, and got a two-fer with a tricycle and an ironing board. It wasn’t as quiet as he would have liked but that didn’t seem to matter. No one raised an alarm, and none of the other Rats noticed their colleagues getting taken out.

The last two fell to an old recliner and a broken bookshelf. Jay had just vacated the passage when Hoodie came flying in. The kid was clearly on his last legs, and those got taken out when he failed to make it over the shelf. The trip resulted in a double somersault and ended with him flat on his back. Two pursuers entered the alley not long after. They were visibly confused by the scene, and the momentary pause gave Jay enough time to drop onto the street behind them.

It was time to put part two of his genius plan into action. Jay had struck like lightning for the last fifteen minutes – now it was time for some thunder. He grabbed a lid from a nearby metal garbage can lid, tested the weight, and let it fly.

“Hey Rat Face, catch!”

Both pursuers turned, and one got smacked in the mouth by the flying disc of doom. They tripped backward into the bookshelf and landed in a clutter of boards. The masks did a good job of hiding the Rat Men’s facial features, but it couldn’t disguise their body language. Jay watched the lucky one move from surprise to shock to anger.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” she yelled.

“Sorry, I’m broke!” Jay replied before running away. Footsteps sounded in the background as he took off down the street. More joined the farther he ran. It looked like everything had gone to plan.

The Rat Trap was beautifully designed, but it wasn’t perfect. The actors either had to have an excellent communication system or a predictable set of movements. Jay figured out it was the latter when his first casualty’s scream didn’t draw any attention. It meant that the maze relied on every member playing their part individually. If one of them messed up, then the whole thing could crumble. Incapacitating seven of them should have done some major damage.

His job wasn’t quite done yet. The Rats didn’t know they weren’t in control anymore. While that would have been helpful in sneaking someone around inside the lot, Jay’s goal was to bust someone out of it. The easiest way to do that would be to shuttle Hoodie to an exit and take one of the guards out. It would be quiet and the Rat Pack would be none the wiser. The young runner looked too exhausted to do that though. Jay had to buy him some time to recover, so it was time to shift to Plan B.

He thought one of two things would happen when the Rat Army discovered what was going on – either they would flee like the animals they were pretending to be, or they would all join in the chase. It didn’t really matter what they did so long as Hoodie was no longer a target.

They ended up doing something in the middle. Jay led his pursuer on a lap around the lot. One dozen of the occupants joined the party while the other twelve bailed. It might not have been what he expected, but it did the job all the same.

Hoodie was gone by the time they circled around to his alley. Jay mentally accounted for all of the guards and knew that the kid had escaped. That was great. Now it was time to address the other problem – getting himself out of this mess. He had been so focused on rescuing the little guy that he didn’t plan his own escape route.

Outrunning the pack didn’t look like it was going to happen. The Rats were as buff as Cole and also had Kai’s stamina. Jay led the mob on a second lap and none of them showed signs of giving up. The tradeoffs must not have been to keep people fresh but rather to give everyone a chance to terrorize an innocent bystander.

Running in circles all day wasn’t going to help, so he decided to take the chase out onto one of the main roads. It didn’t deter the pack, but now there were more escape options.

The group tracked deeper into Metalonia. Jay didn’t have time to admire the tagging but did notice that it was changing. The artwork wasn’t as sharp or vibrant in this part of the district. Paint was peeling in some places and faded in others. The style was slightly different too. It was less cartoony and almost looked professionally done.

Things only got weirder the farther they ran. They tracked into an abandoned plaza at one point. It looked a lot like the one in the center of Downtown. The only difference was the shorter buildings. That and the decorations. Instead of large televisions trying to sell energy drinks and hair products, there were hand painted signs and a statue.

‘Atta the Ratta’ was scrawled on almost all of the posters. Many also had less-than-family friendly things that even Kai wouldn’t repeat. The effigy was so big it would have made Cole look small. Like the rest of the Rats currently trying to turn him inside out, it had the body of a man and the head of a rat. This one’s mask was a lot more detailed though. Its proportions fit the body and didn’t look like something someone bought at a costume store.

Jay only gave the monument a passing glance on the way through. It had to be important – nothing that strange was ever meaningless - and was worth investigating later when the coast was clear.

Three blocks later the Rats finally started to give up. It was a good thing too – Jay didn’t think he could run much farther. He stumbled into an empty parking lot and collapsed onto his back. That was a lot of cardio, and he hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

He wasn’t sure how long he lay there. It could have hours. It could have been minutes. It wasn’t long enough. Breaks never seemed like they were.

The sound of someone’s shoes pounding the pavement drew his attention. He tilted his back enough to see a pair of blue sneakers approaching. Their owner crouched once they got closer. A pair of grey jeans with scattered blue triangles were paired with a cut off denim jacket and a black hoodie. A maroon and gold hat sat on their head. A matching bandana was pulled over their mouth. Rose tinted irises stared down with a mild look of concern.

Jay probably should have been a little more worried. The newcomer had a free shot if they wanted to hurt him. Something about the expression told him that wasn’t the case.

“Hey, you okay?” they asked.

No. Thank you for asking.

“Oh yeah, I’m great. Doing just fine. Just need to catch my breath.” Jay huffed.

“If you say so. Looks like you could use some water though.” Jay couldn’t deny that. Food, water, and a nice nap sounded great right now.

“I mean, I wouldn’t say no…”

The stranger nodded once before passing a bottle. Jay took it with a thank you and swallowed half of it in one go. It was probably a little rude, and a lot stupid, but he didn’t care right now. The liquid was a much needed refreshment.

“I saw you running from the Whack Rats. Dunno what you did to piss them off, but you’re lucky to be alive. Those wierdos don’t mess around,” they said.

“You’re telling me. They have some crazy stamina.”

The stranger hummed as Jay returned the bottle. They sat there in silence for a little while longer. He wasn’t sure why the Good Samaritan stuck around, but the company was appreciated.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” they eventually asked. Jay sat up and shook his head. New Hoodie hummed. “Didn’t think so. Locals wouldn’t step in when the Pack picked someone to harass.”

“Even if it was a kid?”

“Even if it was a kid.”

It was a depressing thought. His own Ninjago had its problems, but he refused to believe the people he protected wouldn’t help out a child in need, regardless of how scary the opposition might be.

“You got a place to stay? I have some extra space if you need somewhere to crash,” they said after another pause. Jay was hesitant to respond. It was a nice gesture but rooming with a complete stranger that he met less than ten minutes ago sounded sketchy. It was especially so when they might live in the roughest part of town. It wasn’t like he could decline though. He needed a roof over his head, and it wasn’t like he could afford one right now. Besides, the water he’d accepted didn’t kill him. Surely this wouldn’t either.

“Hmm, I don’t know. I kind of like looking at the stars and sleeping on the ground. But if you’ve got a bed that needs someone to sleep in it, then I think I could help with that,” Jay teased. His new housemate chuckled before rising to their feet.

“Sweet. People around here call me The Mechanic, but you can call me Scott.”