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Deep voice Jay, as she'd dubbed him – because Jay's voice will never be that deep, which should've been the first indication that he wasn't hers – eliminates the drone in front of her, and lays a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll draw them away," he says. "Follow the streets to the northwest for thirteen blocks. There you will find one of our allies waiting."
He takes his hand off her shoulder, slashing another drone. Then he quickly gets close enough to whisper, "Give him the password Mr. Cuddlywomp and he will bring you to Superstar Rockin' Jay."
She stares at Deep Voice Jay, because of course the password to some secret Jay cult would be the name of his favorite stuffed toy and Superstar Rockin' Jay?
"Now fly!" He raises his fist in the direction she's pretty sure they're supposed to go to.
"I understand!" She says, nodding. Then rethinks that statement because this is all so confusing and how do you know which way is north or west in a place where there's no sun? "Kind of," She amends, looking off to the side.
Deep Voice Jay hums, resting his sword on his back, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I can see why you are beloved to him."
Then all four Jay (? Or players with Jay avatars) take off running, the drones following after him.
I can see why you're beloved to him.
What does that even mean? And how would he even know? This is a game, you can't extract information unless...
Oh.
Okay, now she knows who this Superstar Rockin' Jay is.
She should've expected it.
When they reach the meeting place, it's just... empty.
There's this huge vacant space where the "garage" is supposed to be.
"Why send us to an empty lot?" Lloyd asks, looking around.
"I told you. They're wackos!" Her brother sends them all looks, gesturing with his hands. "Anyone who likes Jay that much can't be normal."
And, okay.
She does a doubletake because she loves Jay very much, Kai. She's possibly the most normal of the ninja and really, how can you not love Jay?
Nya has no clue what younger her was thinking, paying attention to a ridiculous machine that said Cole was her supposed true love.
Jay (if the boys are to be believed, and, she's coming to the realization that they are) has loved her since he laid eyes on her and claimed her favorite color was blue.
Cole is Jay's best friend and a brother to her. She wouldn't change that for the world.
"Freeze!" Kai jumps back, turning around. "Talk, before Mr. Ginormous here does the talking." It doesn't take a genius to know the man is referring to his gun.
"Um, shoot. What was it?" Cole starts muttering behind her, panicked. "Mr. Snugglewomp? Fuddlewimp? No, no. Fun, fun... buddygump?"
Okay... wasn't he the one that found Mr. Cuddlywomp the first time? Maybe Jay should rethink who's really his best friend.
Zane might be a good candidate.
Clearly none of the others have any clue, and if it were any other situation, she would've let them keep fumbling because it's entertaining, but she doesn't want to get shot right now.
"Mr. Cuddlywomp," she says, clearly enough to be heard over the charging gun.
The man sighs, powering down the weapon. She sees Lloyd lower his arms from where he'd raised them when the player appeared.
"The league sent you, huh? Let me guess, you're here to see Superstar Rockin' Jay?" The man asks.
First Spinjitzu Master, the more she hears that the sillier it sounds.
(It's awfully endearing, but she'll take that to her grave)
All four of them nod, and the man gestures to the... nothingness behind him. "C'mon, before someone sees us."
To be fair, he does look like a superstar straight out of a kid's movie.
She watches him as he hugs Cole, running down from the stage where he'd been rocking a guitar the second he saw them.
His skin is a sort of blueish gray, tiny triangles covering the places where his freckles would be, his hair closer to Zane and Pixal's than his natural auburn color. His outfit sparkles under the blue lights.
He couldn't look any more different from the multiple Jay avatars surrounding them, using Jay's gi from several of their adventures, but he's still so undeniably Jay, that finding out he's the real one wouldn't have been too hard.
He finishes greeting the other two ninja, and when he turns to her, his face splits into the biggest smile. It seems as if he shines even brighter.
"Nya!" He launches himself into her arms, giving her a hug.
She hugs back, feeling Jay kiss her cheek with the type of softness he reserves only for her. She flips Kai off when he gags at the display.
She wants to tell him how much she missed him – how worried she was when he wasn't in the room they'd left him in, when they saw him disappear inside the machine. The fear that engulfed her when she thought, for a horrifying second, that they'd lost him forever.
"You look ridiculous," is what she says instead.
She never seems to be able to say what she truly means, especially when it comes to Jay; a perfect contrast to him, considering how he always means what he says and how little he thinks it over.
(She fears, not that deep down, that her inability to express herself freely to Jay will cost her.
That one day, when she finally gathers enough courage to tell him how much she loves him, to tell him how happy he makes her and how glad she is he never gave up on her (even when he should have) – it will be too late.)
Jay laughs at the comment, squeezing her tighter and planting another kiss on her cheek.
Affection comes so easy to him.
It's like loving her is just another trait he has, part of his personality. As if the love he holds for her makes him the person he is, and without it he'd be a different person entirely.
And it's not fair to him, how rough she is with her love, but he doesn't seem to mind.
"It's actually charming! It's what makes you, well... you," he'd told her once, eyes shining brighter than the stars that night.
But, still.
She wants to be gentle with him.
Just like he is with her.
Hold him and be openly in love with him.
Just like he does with her.
She swears, to herself as Jay twirls around, showing his "super rockstar" outfit to the boys, that she'll do it.
She'll love him with the same gentleness he loves her with and express her feelings for him as loud as he does.
But, now, as she stares at this Jay that isn't Jay but still him – his face, his body, his hair but none of the things that make him him – while he snarls at her, "And I will always hate you," in response to her claim from seconds before:
"I love you. I will always love you."
She wonder if her biggest fears just became a reality.
If she really did wait far too long, if she was too much of a coward to just say it with the same ease Jay did.
If she took him for granted.
...She thinks she did.
Jay walks away, eyes an angry red, so different from his multicolored natural ones, and she tears up a bit.
Fuck.
It hurts.
(She wonders if Jay knew how much she loved him.
How much she loved his stupid jokes, his fluffy hair, the freckles scattered throughout his body like stars, his left brown eye as soft as melted chocolate, his right blue one as deep as the endless sea that she represents.
The words he'd shower her with at night, as sweet as honey and so, so truthful coming from him.
She wonders if he knew that he was the love of her life.
If he knew that she has never, and never will, love someone with the same ferocity she loves him.)
A hand lands on Nya's shoulder, and a voice accompanies it. "Let's go."
Lloyd gently pulls her away, barely using any force. She follows him without protest, mind swirling with many thoughts and a spark of determination growing inside her chest.
(She doesn't know if Jay will get his memories back, but it doesn't matter.
Because Jay never gave up on her.
And she will not do him the disservice of giving up on him – she won't care what he says, does, or what he thinks he truly feels.
And when Jay is back, she will tell him just how much she's missed him, loudly.)