Work Text:
Kai busted down the doors of the dilapidated warehouse, the sound echoing in the room. He glared at the man, who looked up in shock and dared to make a sound of fear. Launching himself forward, he knocked the man down but held him by the neck of his shirt, "Where is he?!"
The man didn't answer right away, so Kai repeated, emphasizing with a shake, "Kai!"
He whipped around to glare at the one who touched him, ready to bite their head off, only to see his little sister looking at him with concern. The tension lessened, but was still there.
"I found him!"
Kai's head whipped around again, dropping the man, and following Jay's voice. Around a stack of boxes, next to a machine, was Zane in a cage, the bars made of vengestone, and a wire was connected to Zane from the computer. Their friend was slumped over, "Zane!"
Kai ran over, he gripped the bars of the door and tried to pull, he could feel his elemental power attempting to smother itself, only for Cole to pull him off the door. "Hey!"
"We can't just rush in, Kai!" Cole growled as he kept his grip on the shorter man.
Jay was on the computer, looking to see why Zane was hooked to it. Kai wanted to kick Cole; he needed to get in there and see that Zane was okay!
Lloyd came up from behind, "I got the key!"
His little brother put the key in the lock, and there was a click. Kai escaped Cole's hold and ran in, kneeling next to the Nindroid. He could hear the near-silent whirling of his inner mechanisms; he was alive!
His eyes fell onto the cord that was attached to the back of Zane's head,
"What's that quack trying to do to him?"
Jay was typing away, his eyes darting across the screen, "He's been uploading some sort of program."
"What kind-?"
"Can we just yank it out?" Kai asked, his hand gripping the base of the cord, ready when given the word.
The present ninja looked over at Kai before Jay denied it, "We don't know what that could do to him! Last time someone yanked a cord out while he was unconscious, he became the Ice Emperor!"
"We can't just leave it in! What if it's corrupting him as we speak!"
After more typing, he was able to shut down the program and unplugged the cord from the computer. Kai wedged the plug out of the back of Zane's head,
"Zane, you okay?"
Zane's eyes slowly started to blink open, and he looked around the room before looking at Kai and meeting his eyes. His eyes weren't their usual bright ice blue.
Kai stared at the Ice ninja before noticing something moved in his silver hair. Were those cat ears?
"Zane?"
The Nindroid bumped his head against his chest, and a loud purring rumbled from his chest, getting everyone's full attention. "Jay?"
The blue ninja snapped out of it and went back to looking at the screen, pulling up whatever he could to figure out what was being implanted into Zane's head.
"The shit?"
"What?" Zane had now crawled up into Kai's lap, rubbing his face against Kai's neck, making the fire ninja's face flush.
"Why is this full of cat videos?!" Jay continued to type, trying to find the connection.
"YOU WHAT!"
That made everyone freeze, Zane now clinging to Kai, probably from the loud voice. Nya came around the corner, dragging the cowering man behind, his hands tied together so he couldn't fight back or try to run. "This guy was using Zane to try and make him into some cat hybrid android!"
Everyone looked confused and looked down at the man, "Do you have any idea how many people would pay for an android like that? It's so many people's dreams to have a cat-girl girlfriend!"
Stares turned into scowls, Cole marched up to the guy, lifting him by his shirt to make him look directly in the eye, the man's feet didn't touch the ground, "You kidnapped our friend, to use as a tester for your fetish!"
Cole dragged the man to the police station, let them deal with him after he was decked in the face and knocked out.
Jay downloaded everything from the guy's computer to reverse what he did to Zane. Once they got back to the monastery, they called PIXAL and updated her on the situation. She was visiting her father and was using his lab to help locate Zane faster. She was already on her way back to help get Zane back to himself.
Nya was back at the man's 'lab', tearing it apart for clues and for no one else to use it if word were to get out.
Kai had a now cat-brained Zane lying in his lap. He had to carry him since he was still spooked from Nya screaming at the man for what and why he did what he did to their friend, and nearly collapsed on the couch.
Zane appeared to be comfortable and kept rubbing his head against his arms. Kai gave in; it was usually the other way around with Zane petting his hair. It was also discovered that Zane not only had ears but also a tail covered in fluff that swayed and moved like a real cat. Kai was going to ask to have an interrogation with the guy, make him beg for mercy for what he did to Zane.
Lloyd went to update Wu on the mission and Zane's condition, but it was unlikely he had anything to help.
Kai let out a breath. He was up for 48 hours straight, worried sick over Zane, and now the adrenaline rush was gone; he could feel that he was about to nod off.
Zane was safe, he was in his lap, it wouldn't hurt to shut them for a few minutes…
It was dark when Kai opened his eyes; he could see that he was in the game room, but the lights were off. How long was he out for?
He went to sit up only to feel a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw Zane's head resting, and he could hear purring coming from his partner. Right.
Everything came flooding back, and right now, Zane wasn't in his right mind, but he was here. He didn't even think when he started to run his fingers through Zane's hair. It looked like titanium, like the rest of his body, but it was soft fibers made fine enough to stick up without any product. His new ears twitched, but he didn't stir. Was he asleep?
He leaned his head back and continued to play with his boyfriend's hair, his other arm wrapping around Zane's back, drifting off back t sleep.
Kai stood next to Cole, Zane was sitting on the floor rubbing against his leg with little 'meows', while PIXAL and Jay stood in front of the computer, "Okay, good news, we can get Zane back." Jay started.
"With how you said that, what's the bad news?"
"It will take a few days for the program to undo what the perpetrator has done."
PIXAL answered, "Just to be cautious, someone needs to be with him at all times."
"Well, it's obviously gonna be Kai, Zane hasn't left his side since we found him," Nya chuckled. Kai rolled his eyes. "I don't mind, just means I won't have to patrol tonight."
"Lucky you," Lloyd grumbled. "But you sure this will work?"
PIXAL gave a curt nod, "Affirmative."
Day 1
Kai watched as Zane hopped about the game room, Cole made a makeshift cat toy, a ribbon on a stick, and Zane was chasing after it like it had offended him.
Cole gave a light chuckle as he wiggled it in front of the Cat-Brained Nindroid.
Kai saw Zane's eyes shift from the toy to Cole's hand. Oh, this would be fun.
He got his phone and started to record, and just in time, when Cole attempted to try and get Zane to jump after it, Zane instead leapt at him. He screamed and tried to go back, but with the couch in the way, he ended up flipping it over with him and Zane on it. Kai got up and looked over. Zane was pawing at his face, lightly swatting himself, and Cole was trying not to laugh while covering his face.
The Fire ninja laughed before prying Zane off him, "Merrow?" Zane looked up at him in confusion, "That's enough, Snowflake." Zane then proceeded to headbutt his cheek, obviously in a bit for pets.
And it worked, of course.
Day 2
Kai watched as Jay walked through the kitchen towards the fridge, the bags under his eyes showed how little he had slept the past couple of days. He knew it was all to get Zane back in his right mind, but that didn't mean he shouldn't take care of himself. He rummaged around in the fridge, probably looking for an energy drink, when he heard something drop and roll. He was about to bend over and look under the table, only to hear frantic movement and hissing. Zane was under there, before bolting down the hall on all fours.
What, the cursed realm?
He looked and saw what had fallen out of the fridge. A cucumber.
Kai reached and picked it up. Why would that freak Zane out? He's cooked with them several times. He heard a snicker from Jay.
He looked over at the tired ninja who was about to double over laughing.
"What?"
"I've...only seen videos...l didn't think that l'd ever...see it happen..." he wheezed through laughter.
"What videos?"
Jay was laughing too hard to answer as he was now on the floor, trying to regain his breath. Kai rolled his eyes and looked it up on his phone, where dozens of videos of cars jumping, hissing, and running at the sudden appearance of cucumbers. So, it was a cat thing?
Looking up why he read that it was because of the resemblance to snakes with the sudden appearance. Well, that was something new. He got up from his seat and left the kitchen with Jay still on the floor. He needed to go check and make sure Zane was okay, and if not, to help him calm down.
Day 3
It took over an hour to get Zane to the lab. He got a case of the Zoomies and was nearly impossible to catch despite not being as small as a cat. He was able to outmaneuver them until Cole was able to distract him long enough with his makeshift toy.
He picked him up, and despite Zane growling lowly, he didn't fight. Once down in the lab, PIXAL was quick to put him into sleep mode so they could start. She said they could leave, and she'd call them back once it was done, but Kai just sat by the table Zane was placed on. Holding his hand, rubbing his thumb against the top of the Nindroid's hand, he didn't pay attention to the time, nor when Jay started to remove the cat ears, which were not sturdy.
He just wanted his love back...
He didn't realize he had dozed off, but was awakened to fingers combing through his hair, blinking his eyes open, and looking up, he saw Zane smiling down at him,
"How was your nap, Firefly?"
It took him a moment for everything to crash back, the brunet shot up and hugged his boyfriend tight, with Zane returning the hug. "Do you remember anything?"
Zane sighed, "That I do, I apologize for-"
"Shush! You weren't in your right mind; besides, it was... cute seeing you like that..." Kai's face flushed as he trailed off.
Zane chuckled and pressed a kiss against the Fire Ninja's forehead, "Well, perhaps I should do it again sometime."
Kai gave him a shocked look before chuckling again, "Joking love, but I would like to see you with little ears and tail."
His face was so dark, so flustered, that he just buried his face into Zane's chest.
The Ice ninja smiled as he played with Kai's hair again. It wasn't long until the others came down and made comments of relief at him being back to his usual self.
It wasn't until that night that the two could have alone time with one another, holding each other, till they fell asleep.