Work Text:
“Oh hello. You’re one of Jay’s friends, aren’t you?”
Zane lifted his head up to meet the expectant gaze of Jay’s parental units.
Edna - it came to him within an instant, a single line of a reserved variable.
“Hello, Edna,” He greeted - the appropriate, standard greeting to give someone who wasn’t overly familiar to him. A more casual statement such as “Hey,” “Hi,” or even the rare-spoken “Howdy”, was out of line for such an occasion. This, he followed with the answer to her stated question, in a clear and concise manner that would help resolve the raised issue. “I am-”
He hesitated. Well, not hesitated - there was no need for him to hesitate. He did not have the capacity for hesitation. Rather, his lines of code paused in a buffer, cycling through a secondary loop repeatedly. He needed extra time - an extra few nanoseconds, then milliseconds, then seconds, then-
“-Zane.” He said, after a far too long pause, not too long by human standards, but too long in comparison to his own metrics.
“Zane, that’s right! He’s mentioned you a few times here and there in his letters.” Edna beamed, giving no verbal acknowledgement to his pause. Nor did her nonverbal signs give an indication - her expression remaining in that pleased, open look, without furrowed eyebrows or slanted mouth, and her cupped hands held together in front of her.
“He’s been so busy, he never gets a chance to send as many letters as we’d like,” Jay’s father - Ed, the name came quickly. Both of their names had been categorized as of a 6.3 level of importance, due to their relationship to his fellow ninja. “But he’s spoken about you, and the other ninjas. You have the… oh, Edna dear, remind me what power it is?”
“One moment, dear,” Edna pulled a clipboard free from behind her, flipping through the pages with the back of her curved palm. “Ah, Zane’s actually isn’t written yet! I’ve only got Kai’s and Cole’s right now.”
“Oh, dear-” And now Edna was calling him dear once again, as she had just called Ed. Ed, who was her husband and life partner and likely romantic partner.
Zane questioned this sudden increase in intimacy between himself and Jay’s mother from her perspective, and what he could do to clarify the situation. However, after a quick search to his bases - which revealed the different layers with which the term could be used. Additionally, after a quick replay of his observation log, he was able to note the change in tone and body angling that indicated Edna was referring to Zane in what would be most easily categorized under the ‘parental’ subcategory of interpersonal relations.
“My abilities are with ice.” Zane stated - as he had dedicated a separate piece of his system to listen to Edna and form a response.
“Oh, Edna, write that down.”
As Edna fished out a pen, clicking it against the notepad, before beginning to write in a tidy script.
“Does the clipboard have a specific method of categorization? It appears that you are writing from the most recent place.” Zane said, slightly peering over the top of the clipboard to see it.
“I have different clipboards for different categories,” Edna said easily, rotating her hand to show the back of the clipboard labeled Jay’s Ninjago Visits. “Although, I have to say, just writing it down helps it stick in the ol’ noggin!”
“My memory is fully capable of remembering information, such as anecdotes and interpersonal relationships without this practice.” Zane informed.
Edna just smiled. “That sounds convenient for you. Does it help you connect?”
“I-” Zane buffered - because it wasn’t hesitation, necessarily, since hesitation was born from indecisiveness and Zane wasn’t indecisive, he was delayed as he sought more relevant information.
His memory bank pulled the relevant pieces and presented it before him. In one regard, it was accurate - he was able to recall information during their missions that proved useful. He knew how to engage with non-Ninjargon, had hundreds of languages both written and spoken downloaded, could adapt his vocal cords to create the necessary sounds that humanoids would not normally be able to pronounce.
But on the other-
His memory picked out a relevant file from the array of choices.
Cole and Jay, fighting on the floor while Kai shouted that was indiscernible over the sound of Cole and Jay knocking over various furniture objects.
“What is the issue?” Zane recalled himself saying, mouth forming the words as they appeared beside his vision. One hand placed against the cowl of his mask, prepared to pull it over his face. “Is there conflict? Who must we fight?”
“What? No, no, we’re not- we’re not fighting,” Cole said, looking up from where he was pinning Jay down, forearm pressed against Jay’s shoulder. “We’re wrestling!”
“Wrestling, yes. A martial arts technique of attempting to obtain control over the opponent. And you are opposing each other? Does Sensei know of this developing conflict?”
“No, we’re not - ugh, Cole, get off me for a second,” Jay grunted, as Cole shifted off of him and onto the floor. Now freed, Jay sat up. “Zane, we’re just goofing around. You know, play fighting?”
“The maneuvers you were engaging in had little to do with what we have established in training,” Zane offered helpfully.
Jay sighed, the tone in his voice conveying one of the following of annoyance, exasperation, or irritation.
“It’s not training. It’s just for fun. You know, like how friends do?”
Zane did not understand. But he had reasonably good odds - based on the annoyance laced into Cole’s thick eyebrows and Jay’s eye roll - that the information could be obtained at a later point.
At Zane’s lack of a response - as his core was taking some additional time to explain and categorize the odd feeling inside of him, making his wiring register as too tight along his joints and his skin fiber overlay feel slightly too cold - Cole and Jay had resumed wrestling. Play-fighting. For fun. As friends do.
“You okay, Zane?” Kai asked, looking across the room while Cole and Jay rolled around between them.
“I am adequate,” Zane siad, unwilling to lie, “Although I must run a diagnostic on myself.”
“Oh, is… that bad? Or… good?”
“It is a standard part of my maintenance,” Zane said, which was not a lie.
“Okay, well, have… fun? Doing that I guess. See you later!” Kai waved as Zane left.
Zane returned to his room, sat on the floor, and ran his superficial diagnostic - and then a deeper one after that, too - but everything kept resulting within normal limits. There was nothing to indicate a reason for his sudden temperature and sensation change that had occurred with the question Jay had posited.
How friends do?
How friends-
How-
Zane had been silent for too long - too long for a normal human easily, and himself doubly so.
“Oh, well, I think you’re a very clever and kind boy,” Edna said, breaking the far too noticeable silence. She patted his shoulder - his implanted nerves picked up the warmth and gentle pressure of her hand - and smiled at him.
The smile was significantly gentler than it had been before - well, perhaps not significantly to a human, but to Zane the changes were clear. Her mouth was softer, the slant of wrinkles by her eyes thrown into sharper relief, her eyes more open and fixed on him.
Zane found his vocal cords, for a moment, staggered to begin - a slight skip to his first few words that he did not intend. “As an android, I have much knowledge. As a ninja, under Sensei Wu, I follow his guidance to help the people of Ninjago.”
It was not a disagreement to her statement.
Edna’s smile just seemed to tilt down a little - likely to be from disappointment, sadness, or fatigue. Given the hour of day, it was unlikely to be fatigue, but Zane was unwilling to exclude it from his considerations in the meantime.
Ed nodded from beside Edna, an expression of - likely reassurance, though Zane could not exclude hope, and did exclude early onset dementia - and set his hand on Edna’s shoulder.
“You’ve got a big heart, helping everybody in Ninjago,” Ed said, “Don’t you be afraid to take care of yourself, too.”
Zane blinked. He did not understand - he was not afraid to care for himself. Having a functioning body was crucial to his duties as a nindroid, as a protector. But something about the way Ed was looking at him - reassurance, hope, something that seemed sad but Zane couldn’t place how - made Zane’s internal sensors pick up a sudden heat, one of his auxiliary fans kicking on to alleviate it. Made Zane identify a sudden tightness between his shoulder joints.
“I will endeavour to do so.” Zane said, because it seemed like the right thing to say.
Edna looked as if she wanted to speak further - her lips parting slightly, her gaze shifting upwards closer to Zane’s eyes, and the way her hand, still holding the clipboard, rotated slightly.
Whatever she was going to say, however, was interrupted by Jay - her son, Zane’s memory reminded him absently - as he approached them.
“Mom! Dad! What are you doing?” Jay’s voice called as he hurried towards them, “Don’t bother Zane!”
“It is no bother.” Zane said, turning to his - friend? How friends do? How do friends- “I found their conversation interesting and engaging.”
“Oh, did you hear that?” Ed turned to Edna, “Jay’s friend said that w-”
“Dad!” Jay cut him off, voice pitched with a whine - annoyance, embarrassment, disappo-
Zane noted a sudden discomfort. His fans were regulating his temperature adequately, his sensors read as his systems being within the appropriate range, and yet. And yet.
Zane remembered his father. Remembered him holding a screwdriver, showing Zane how to repair his leg when he fell. Remembered a butterfly’s cocoon spun inside his chest, his father carefully shifting wires out of the way so that it would remain unharmed. Remembered a switch, the weight as it clicked down into a new position, the squeak of an ungreased lever because neither he nor his father had ever bothered to oil it.
Zane remembered the act of forgetting. His memories being shut into a subroutine that rapidly overwrote itself to hide its nature from his own sensors. The memory bank vanishing before he even knew to reach for it, the moment of panic that something was wrong before it abruptly vanished into… nothing. And Zane was in a snowy field surrounded by white, white, white.
Jay was still talking - arguing, maybe? - to his parents, and Zane’s sideread deftly transcribed their entire conversation alongside his vision as he spoke. But Zane just… didn’t want to read it.
Didn’t want to hear it.
Jay had his parents, and Zane-
Zane had -
There was no reason for the sudden flare of aggression. His sensors did not detect a threat, there was only Jay and his parents in front of him, and yet there was an urge to fight. An instinct to attack - not physically, but an urge to speak something violent, something mean and unfounded - his… fellow ninja.
Zane needed to run a diagnostic. Something was wrong.
There was no reason. No logical, discernable, reasonable reason for him to want to harm Jay. To tell him that he was undeserving of Ed and Edna, to tell him to stop. To change.
Zane’s diagnostic was not revealing anything. There was no new indicators, no confusion on the person in front of him being Jay.
Maybe- maybe it was that Zane wanted to train. Maybe he wanted to spar? The aggression he felt, it seemed not dissimilar to Jay’s desire to spar with Cole.
Yes. That must be it.
“Jay, would you like to engage in combat with me?” Zane interrupted Jay’s speech. His tone was dysregulated, sharper than he intended for it to emerge.
“Hm?” Jay looked at Zane. “Oh, yeah! That would be great, actually. Sorry mom, dad. I need to train to protect Ninjago, so… maybe we can catch up another time? I’ve really got to stay on my A-game if we want to protect the city.”
“Oh, I- I suppose, dear,” Edna’s face fell - Zane noted sadness, disappointment, grief- and Ed put his hand on her shoulder once more. “You’re so busy protecting others, it’s important work you do. We’re very proud.”
“We love you, son.” Ed said.
Jay was already turning away from them towards the training area. “Yeah, yeah, love you guys too. Bye!”
Zane felt that aggre- need to train increase. He wanted to spar. He wanted to spar with Jay, now. He wanted to spar and win.
Zane half-turned as Jay walked by - resisting an unreasonable urge to begin sparring now, rather than waiting to reach the training area - but restrained himself, turning back to Ed and Edna.
“It was a pleasure to meet you both,” Zane said, putting the tips of his hands together in front of him and nodding at them. “I hope you visit again in the future.”
“Oh!” Edna’s face brightened - excitement, hope, joy - and she put her hand on top of Ed’s where it still rested on her shoulder. “How sweet of you to say.”
“You and Jay, and the other ninja, are always welcome to visit our junkyard.” Ed added eagerly.
“I know how hard it is to get time to travel to us, though,” Edna said, “So we understand if-”
“I can make time.” Zane said bluntly, before realizing he’d cut her off. “Oh! Apologies for interrupting.”
Edna blinked a few times, as if- oh, no, had Zane’s rudeness brought her to the brink of tears? But no, no, Edna’s face wasn’t pinched with sadness or pain, it just seemed… he wasn’t sure. He needed more time to analyze this later from his memory.
Ed rotated his hand to hold his wife’s in his own. “We’d like that,” He said. “But we won’t keep you longer, training is very important after all.”
“Thank you,” Zane said, nodding his head again.
“Goodbye, dear,” Edna said, and raised her arm slightly, holding it outwards from herself towards him.
“Goodbye,” Zane replied, offering her his hand as a handshake in return to her gesture.
After a brief pause, Edna shook his hand, and the corner of her mouth turned upwards slightly - happiness, satisfaction, or perhaps amusement.
Zane turned away from them, following Jay’s square footprints towards the training area, where Jay stood waiting.
“Oh, wow, thanks for bailing me out,” Jay said, patting Zane on the back.
Zane frowned.
“Bailing?” He asked - his database offering him a bucket for scooping out water, a jail payment, an escape. None of which made sense for the situation.
“Yeah, you know, coming up with training as an excuse for my parents to leave. Super smart of you.”
Zane felt the urge to spar increase dramatically. So much so, that his hands rotated in anger towards his chest, and he shoved. The front of his hands collided with Jay’s shoulders, and Jay fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump.
“Hey! What gives, man? We haven’t started yet!”
Zane’s internal sensors detected a surge of energy along his arms, his legs. Similar to when he engages in combat, the excess energy being directed to increase his effectiveness in a fight.
Jay was not his enemy.
Zane found his sensors having difficulty maintaining that identification.
“Get up and engage in combat,” Zane said, tone still sharper than he intended. Except, no - it was as sharp as he intended. He wanted to fight. He wanted Jay to be angry, to fight as well.
“Zane, what’s going on with you? Where’d this come from?” Jay got to his feet, “I mean, you like, never get upset.”
“I am not upset.” Zane’s words were clipped. “I merely wish to train.”
“You’re acting super weird. Is it like- oh, wait, no,” Jay grimaced, “Did my parents say something to you? Were they weird about you being a robot? Did they tell you that story about me kissing my pillow?”
“No!” Zane snapped out the word, his vocal chord spasming from the force. “Your parents are kind and gentle people!”
“Ugh,” Jay was still frowning - embarrassment, shame, shame- and Zane couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand the idea of being ashamed of Ed, of Edna. His memory bank dutifully replayed Edna’s smile, his father's look of pride, Ed’s hand on her shoulder, his father's hand on a screwdriver, and he suddenly could not bear to listen to Jay say another word.
“You don’t respect your elders!” Zane slammed one hand against the other, and a shock of ice spread out around his feet.
“Wh- what? I respect elders!” Jay slipped on the ice, arms flailing to steady himself to keep from falling. “Sensei Wu is my elder, and I respect him.”
“Those are your parents!” Zane gestured with a hand back the way they’d come. “You should- should be honored they spent time with you! That they seek your company! And you should spend time with them, enjoy their presence and attention, while they’re still here.”
Jay stopped for a moment - long enough to disbalance, and fall backwards onto the ice. He propped himself up on his hands, sitting on the ice as he looked up at Zane. His expression was changed.
Confusion, worry, guilt.
“I- Zane. I just realized, I don’t know anything about your life before you joined the ninja. Did your parents… I mean, did you have…?” Jay trailed off, as if unsure of how to ask what he was trying to.
Zane stared at Jay.
”I have a question.”
“Oh?” Julian set down the small device he was working on, pushing up his magnifying glasses as he turned in his chair to face Zane. “What is it, Zane?”
“What does this mean?” Zane turned the book he had been reading towards Julian. “This story, it says that this character is this man’s son. But this character is a soldier?”
Julian looked at him for a moment. “What is it that you would like me to clarify?”
“Well,” Zane scuffed his shoe against the floor. “How is he two things? And- I know what a soldier is. But- what is a son?”
Julian looked at him for a moment, before smiling. “Oh, well, to answer your first question: no one is just one thing. People can be many things at once. I, for example, am an engineer. I am also right-handed, and a good singer-”
“-That is debatable-”
“-Hey,” Julian said lightly, before continuing. “To answer your second question - what is a son. Well, Zane, you are my son.”
“I do not understand.”
“Well,” Julian sighed a little, easing back into his chair. “A son is someone who is taken care of by a parent. Someone who is looked after and loved, and taught how the world works and what it means to be alive. A son is someone who is kind, and brave, and good. A son is…” Julian’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “A son is what you are to me, Zane.”
“I see.” Zane looked down at the book again for a long, long moment. “Does that make you my father?”
“If you’d like that.”
Zane considered this. “I’d like that,” He said decisively, nodding sharply. “You are my father.”
“Well, there we go then. Did that answer your questions, or did you have more?”
“That is all the questions I have currently. Father.”
“Good, good. If you have more later, you know where I’ll be, son,” His father said, putting his magnifying glasses back over his eyes.
“I had a father.”
“I-” Jay made some motion to speak, and seemed to be unable to formulate a sentence. He was looking at Zane with an expression he couldn’t place - not pity, but something adjacent to it, or at least that’s what he could try to identify from it - and kept just… staring.
Zane no longer wanted to spar. There was a twist in his wiring, somewhere inside his chest cavity, causing it to feel too tight. He didn’t want to fight, anymore. He wanted to go to his room, and run a system test, and create a seventh backup of his memory bank - because maybe six wasn’t enough to make sure he wouldn’t forget again.
Zane turned away, and began walking into the dojo.
“Wait,” Jay called after him.
Zane stopped and turned. “Yes?” He asked.
“Look, it’s…” Jay was frowning. “You’re my friend, and… just, if you ever wanted to talk-?”
“We are?” Zane asked, surprised. “I had not classified us as such.”
How do friends? How do friends? How-
Jay’s expression fell even further - hurt, guilt, guilt, guil- and he shook his head. “Oh, um, okay. That’s okay. But, yeah, I mean, if you want to talk, I’m here. Or- or any of the other ninja, if that’d- if that’s something you’d rather- yeah.”
Zane blinked. “I will make a note of it,” He said, “However, I must return to my room. I have much to process.”
He turned away once more, and Jay did not call out again.
-----------------------------------
Jay felt bad. It wasn’t a new feeling - he’d made plenty of mistakes before, put his foot in his mouth more times than he could count. But this felt different. It was different.
This wasn’t a one-liner he messed up - or got caught practicing - or an off-putting commentary on someone’s cooking. This was Zane. This was his friend.
Well, if he was still allowed to call Zane his friend.
I had not classified us as such.
Jay scuffed a pebble out of its spot between two tiles, nudging it with the corner of one foot onto the tile. He pushed it around, watching it roll over and over to rest on its flattened side.
Jay was going in circles.
He always was.
He put his head in his hands - his elbows propped on his knees where he sat outside of the dojo. He didn’t want to go back inside, not yet. The rest of the ninja, and Nya, were in there, and they’d surely noticed his and Zane’s argument.
If it’d been him and Cole arguing, heck, even coming to blows, it wouldn’t have raised any eyebrow outside of Sensei Wu’s - rather judging - left one.
But he and Zane arguing? Zane, who let caterpillars take up home inside his chest, where their chrysalis would be safe from the elements while they transformed.
Jay didn’t like to admit it, but if there was anyone in the wrong between the two of them, it’d probably be him. He wasn’t smart like Nya, or strong like Cole, or brave like Kai. He wasn’t wise like Sensei - although, to be fair, who was - and he wasn’t ever going to be the Green Ninja. Even if Sensei said it could be any of them, Jay knew it wasn’t him. He wasn’t enough, wasn’t enough of anything.
And now, now he’d messed up. Just like he messed up everything else. He was barely making it as the Blue Ninja, let alone even in the running to be the Green Ninja. And now, he’d upset Zane.
Oh, geez, what would the other ninja say? It was bad enough Jay was losing Zane - because surely Zane hated him, now, had basically said it already - but they’d all agree with Zane. Between the two of them, there was no question as to who they’d rather keep on their team, rather keep as a friend.
Jay was a lot, he knew he was. Too loud sometimes, too nervous. He never thought of the ideas they actually went with. He was awkward and not good at small talk, and he laughed when he was nervous at really weird times like during that training where Sensei was critiquing Kai’s punches -and just last week! Just last week he’d made that joke about “rocking and rolling” and Cole hadn’t even laughed. Or, oh no, the time Kai caught him practicing flirty lines for Nya. Or when he’d knocked over that entire plate of noodles Zane had made. Or-
“What’s going on?”
Jay lifted his head from his hands, looking up to see Kai standing a few paces away, arms crossed.
“Oh, hey Kai,” Jay said, straightening up and trying for a smile. “Just enjoying the sun. You?”
“Just saw you hadn’t come inside yet. Your parents left?”
“Yeah, they headed out not too long ago.”
“Ah, man, I wanted to ask them about coming by for a team dinner sometime,” Kai said, uncrossing his arms. “Maybe you could invite them in your next letter?”
Jay frowned. “I don’t get it,” He said, “Why do you guys all like them so much?”
“I mean, I think they’re cool,” Kai said, “They build stuff. Better than I ever could as a blacksmith, at the least.” Kai laughed a little, but at Jay’s lack of a smile he stopped.
“Is that why you and Zane fought?” Kai asked, “Did something happen with your parents?”
“No,” Jay ground the pebble into the tile under the edge of his square foot. “They loved him, of course.”
“O-kay, that’s good.” Kai said. “Right?”
“Yeah, it’s- it’s great. My parents like all my friends. Well, actually, I think they’re just glad I finally have friends, hah.” Jay forced a chuckle.
Kai didn’t laugh. Just kept looking at him, but his mouth was tilting further downwards and… Jay looked away.
Jay cleared his throat. “I mean, um- I… they were super impressed by all of you. They loved hearing your stories about your fire power, and Nya’s engineering, and thought Zane was charming, and… I don’t know.”
So long as he kept staring at the ground, he could say it. So long as Kai didn’t speak, didn’t move, didn’t react, Jay could say it.
He could see one corner of Kai’s red shoe in the edge of his vision. Jay stared at it, and pretended that he was doing it by choice, and not because he couldn’t bear to meet his eyes.
“I think they know you guys are way bette- cooler, than me. I’m not much, I guess, compared to all of you. And-” Jay’s chest felt tight. Something painful wrapped around his heart was climbing up his throat and settling into place there, choking out his words. His eyes were stinging - his foot pressed harder on the pebble and he felt something crunch underneath him.
Shifting his foot up, he saw the pebble had cracked from the force.
“Uh…” Kai said, while Jay stared at the ground bits of rubble between his shoes. “I mean, Jay. I think that your parents are proud of you because they’re your parents, you know?”
At Jay’s lack of a response, Kai continued.
“I- look, man,” Kai rubbed the back of his neck with the side of his hand. “I- look at Nya and me, right? I had to practically raise her because of- you know, our parents, um. Anyway. I would’ve given anything to have more time with them, right? But Nya- I mean, she doesn’t even remember our parents. She’d make me cards for Father’s Day,” Kai let out a chuckle, smile growing on his face, “And Mother’s Day. And I was always so proud of what she did- you’ve seen her, c’mon, Nya’s like crazy smart and builds stuff out of bricks! I don’t even know half of what she says anymore about the stuff she makes. But I can see that she’s getting better all the time and that’s really awesome to see.”
Kai’s smile turned tight at the edge - Jay noticed this because he was looking at Kai’s face, now, instead of the edge of his red shoe. “I can’t imagine what it’d be like for her if I left or, or died, or got sick or whatever. I think parents, whether they’re, you know, your actual parents or not, like… like I care about Nya, cared about her a lot when I was taking care of her when we were kids. And It was nice to know that she cared, too. And that… I mean, as much as I miss our parents, I’m glad that I got to be there for her when they weren’t.”
“I hadn’t known that,” Jay said, surprise making his voice come out squeakier than he wanted it to. “Nya’s so confident and smart and stuff, I wouldn’t have thought - not that I think you’re not smart or anything! Just that, um, that you guys aren’t that far apart in age, and I guess, that that’d be hard. Or- not that you can’t do hard work! I- uh-”
Kai patted Jay on the back, saving him from his own word-spiral. “It’s all good, Jay, I know what you’re trying to say. It was hard. But it was worth it. Because I love Nya, and I wanted to see her be happy. So, I think, your parents want you to be happy, too. And that’s why they want to be involved with your life and talk to your friends and stuff. And why Zane was upset. He understands the value of having someone like that in your corner.”
“And what it’s like to lose them.” Jay said glumly.
“Oh.” Kai said, after a moment’s pause, “I didn’t know that.”
“Neither did I,” Jay replied, digging the corner of his shoe into a loose edge of the tile.
“Well, he’ll forgive you. All of us ninja are brothers.” Kai said firmly, like he knew it for some undeniable fact that it’d all work out.
Jay wished he had his friend’s confidence, his unwavering belief. That he wasn’t so full of doubt, doubt, doubt.
“Right. Brothers.” Jay said, trying to sound more confident, more like Kai, more like how he wanted to be, wished he could be.
Kai smacked Jay in the back again, enthusiastically, wide grin forming at Jay’s attempt at bravado. “Yeah! Now, come on, stop moping and let’s get inside. I told Cole we’d play Racecar Video GameTM.”
“Sounds fun,” Jay said, letting Kai pull him to his feet and corral him back into the dojo, where Cole was impatiently waiting, homescreen for Racecar Video GameTM was already queued up.
It was a four player game.
Jay swallowed down something that felt like shame.
-----------------------------------
They’d barely made it through the second round before Kai was getting pulled away - by Nya, to help her with a piece of machinery she’d been building - leaving just Jay and Cole.
“This game is no fun as a two-player,” Cole said, as they returned to the main menu. “Do we want to try Fighting GameTM?”
“Yeah, that sounds fun,” Jay agreed easily, and Cole switched to that game and loaded it up.
Cole selected a muscle-bound character, and Jay picked at random - an archer, apparently.
Within the first thirty seconds, Cole had beaten him.
“Are you going easy on me, man? You’re normally a little tougher than this,” Cole said, as they entered the second round, landing an immediate double punch on Jay’s archer, who had yet to fire an arrow.
Jay was having a hard time paying attention to the screen, too busy thinking about what Kai had said, what Zane had said - and now, what he had said to Zane.
“Sorry,” Jay said, firing an arrow that Cole easily dodged, before kicking him and K.O.ing his character.
The victory was Cole’s.
It had been all of two minutes.
Cole turned to look at Jay.
“What is going on with you?” He asked, irritated. “You’re not even trying.”
“I-” Jay hesitated. Was it worse to say he was trying, and have Cole think he was this terrible at the game? Or, would it be worse to admit his mind was elsewhere, and he wasn’t enjoying their time hanging out together?
Cole sighed, then turned back to face the screen, loading into another round. He selected the same character.
Jay picked another random one - a swordsman.
“I feel like I hurt Zane,” Jay said, as the round started.
“What’d you do?” Cole asked, punching at Jay’s character, who dodged.
“I don’t know!” Jay said, before hesitating. “No, that’s, that’s not true. It’s kind of complicated.”
“Okay.”
“I guess… so, you know how my parents visited?”
“Yeah, they were pretty cool,” Cole said, “What about them?”
“Well, I mean, I guess, Zane thought I wasn’t being appreciative enough of them, or something,” - not or something, Jay knew it was true, he just wasn’t ready to say that out loud yet, “And he got upset about me being a little, uh… irritated. I guess.”
“I think it’s normal to get pissed at your parents.” Cole said shrugging one shoulder as he jammed another combo on the controller.
“Yeah, it’s- they’re so annoying,” Jay said, relieved that Cole was agreeing with him. “They always talk about me, and try to involve themselves in my life, and they’re always asking me so many questions about me. Not even like, being a ninja, but stuff like what I’m eating and if I’m brushing my teeth and stuff! Like, yeah, mom, I know to brush my teeth, I don’t need a reminder every time they visit.”
Cole didn’t reply for a moment. “It sounds like they care about you,” He said finally, “And they might be a bit overeager but, it sounds like they want to know what’s going on in your life. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
“It is when they never leave me alone! I might be their kid, but I’m a ninja now, I don’t need them parenting me!”
“Maybe you don’t need them,” Cole agreed, pressing down another button as Jay landed a hit. “I don’t need my dad. I haven’t needed him since my mom died. While he was off singing and dancing and playing shows with his troupe, I was taking care of myself.” Cole’s tone was deeply, deeply bitter. “He cared more about singing his grief away than taking care of his own son, so now, he doesn’t get to have a son-”
There was a crunch. Jay looked away from the TV, startled, to see a crushed controller between Cole’s hands.
Cole looked down, surprise coloring his face, and he loosened his grip quickly. A few pieces of plastic fell out from the bottom of the controller, landing on the ground in front of him.
“Sorry,” Cole said, tone still bitter but now cut with something that sounded tight, something close to embarrassment.
“Nah, no worries” Jay said, trying to play it off. “I saw Kai toss that controller around a bunch, it was on its last legs anyway.”
“Hah, you’re probably right,” Cole said, some of the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. “Still, I’ll replace it. Can’t beat you at Fighting GameTM without a controller, after all.”
“I guess that makes it a forfeit!” Jay said, rapidly spamming the kick button on Cole’s character, who collapsed in a knockout.
“Hey!” Cole said, as the victory screen appeared.
“A ninja never wastes an opportunity,” Jay said.
“I don’t remember Sensei Wu saying that,” Cole said, “I think he’d be opposed to kicking an enemy when they’re disarmed.”
“Eh,” Jay shrugged, setting the controller down in its place. “I should get going.” He got to his feet, and began to leave.
“Jay,” Cole said.
Jay turned. Cole was still sitting, legs in front of him, on the floor.
“I get it. The family thing. Yours are- I mean, it’s not fair to compare, I guess. But, I mean, Zane is... he’s Zane, you know? Just, maybe just apologize?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Jay said, “Thanks, Cole.”
Cole nodded, not replying.
As Jay left, he turned back at the door - Cole was still sitting in the same place, staring at the broken plastic in front of him. Jay couldn’t see his face, as Cole was half-turned away from him, but he could see the way Cole’s hand turned over a piece of the broken controller, as if trying to put it back together.
-----------------------------------
Jay had been standing in front of Zane’s door for a while now. He wasn’t exactly sure how long - he’d come up to it with every intention of knocking. He hadn’t quite gotten to that part yet, though. Instead, he was pacing back and forth in front of it, as he had been for at least the past ten or so paces.
It was no good. Jay didn’t know what to say. What could he even say? ‘Sorry I was annoyed at my parents in front of you, I didn’t know yours was dead?’ If Zane didn’t hate him already, he definitely would after that…
“Ugh,” Jay said, stopping in his tracks to smack his head into the wall beside Zane’s door.
“Um… Jay, what are you doing?”
Jay startled, turning to see Nya standing a few paces away, eyebrow raised.
“Oh, hey, Nya!” Jay said, straightening up and doing his best to seem like he totally wasn’t freaking out. He leaned against the wall once more, this time with his back instead of his face, and crossed his arms. “‘Sup?”
“I was on my way to upgrade my - uh, my… bedframe,” Nya said, slowly. “But now I’m wondering why you’re hanging outside of Zane’s room looking like you’re about to face Garmadon in nothing but your underwear.”
“I’m not- I’m acting perfectly normal!” Jay’s voice cracked.
“Uh-huh.” Nya kept looking at him.
“Okay, fine,” Jay slumped down to the floor, legs sticking out in front of him. “So I’m trying to apologize to Zane, but I can’t figure out like… what to say, or how, or like, I dunno. All of it?”
“Hm,” Nya sat down beside him. “Well, I heard what happened-”
“What? At this point, who didn’t?” Jay said, burying his face in his hands.
“The mailman, maybe.” Nya offered. “Anyway, what do you think you need to apologize for.”
“Well…” Jay grimaced, “I mean, I get that Zane got upset about me being mad at my parents. And that’s because his dad died, right? So, he wanted me to appreciate my parents more. Which, based on what Kai and Cole said, I feel like I probably should, I guess. But I do appreciate them! They’re, I mean, they’re my parents, right? But it’s just… they’re so involved, and it’s too much sometimes. I feel like you guys’ll judge me for them, or something.”
“Why would any of us judge you for having parents that care about you?”
“I know, I know, I should be grateful,” Jay said, “But it’s so- like, you guys don’t have your parents breathing down your necks! I’m not a child, and I don’t want to be treated like one by them in front of you guys.”
“So, let me get this right.” Nya sounded distinctly unimpressed. “You’re worried that we’d all judge you. For having parents that care about you.”
“Well, I mean-”
“Jay. Kai and I, our parents are dead. Zane’s is dead. Cole’s is… well, you know. I don’t think any of us would judge you for your parents. If anything, I think Zane’s jealous of you for them.” Nya paused for a half-second, before admitting, “I know I am.”
“What? Really?” Jay looked up. “But you and Kai, I mean, you’re so close. And you’re so smart, and capable, and clever. You don’t need-”
“Just because I don’t need them doesn’t mean I don’t wish I had them,” Nya said. “There’s a lot I’d give up to have parents like yours, Jay. A lot that I think all of us would give up for it.”
“Oh.” Jay said. “I didn’t realize… I mean, I didn’t think there was much that anyone’d be jealous of me for.”
“Jay, you have a wonderful family. Ed and Edna are sweet, good people. And they raised you to be just like them.” Nya patted him on the shoulder. “Now, I’m going to leave to work on my sui- uh, frame. When I come back, you and Zane better have made up. Or else.”
“Or else what?"
Nya just smiled at him - ominously smiled, in Jay's opinion - and continued on down the hall.
Jay got to his feet, dusting off invisible dust on his shirt. Clearing his throat, then swallowing, then clearing his throat again. Reaching up, he went to knock, then went to straighten his shirt again, and then-
Okay. Enough of this.
Jay had fought Garmadon. He’d taken down monsters, had helped little old ladies cross the road and didn’t even trip when he was doing it last time!
He could talk to his frien- teammate. He could make up with his teammate. With Zane.
Jay knocked.
-----------------------------------
“You may enter,” Zane called from inside, and Jay opened the door.
It squeaked, and Jay grimaced at the noise, stepping inside and closing it after himself.
“Hey,” Jay said, feeling tremendously awkward.
“Hello,” Zane greeted, as impassable as ever. Was Jay imaginging a coldness there? “Jay, I have done some processing-”
“I’m sorry!” Jay said hurriedly, cutting of whatever Zane was trying to say that was probably scary and not good. “I shouldn’t have been rude to my parents. They’re good people, and they’re good parents, and you’re right that I should appreciate them more, and- and-” Jay forced himself to slow down, “I didn’t know about your dad. I’m sorry.”
Zane blinked.
“Of course you didn’t know,” He said, “I did not tell you until today.”
“Well, yeah, but… I’m sorry.” Jay stepped closer. “I- my parents are too chatty, and too involved, and they do it because they care about me, and they want me to be happy. And you- you were right that I wasn’t appreciating it. You deserve them more than I do, you all do. I’m not…” Jay wanted to look away from Zane’s face, but he forced himself not to. “It’s no wonder you don’t consider me a friend, I’ve been a terrible one to you.”
“I do consider you my friend.” Zane said.
“What? Really?” Jay winced at his own overeager tone.
“I hadn’t classified us in that manner, but, after you brought up the term, I required time to evaluate our relationship and determine if the title applied. I have concluded that it does, and so, yes. We are friends. As am I and Kai, I and Nya, and I and Cole. I believe I will need to update them on this title change, but I am doing so now with you as you are here.”
“So… you’re not… mad at me?” Jay asked, wringing one hand in the other.
Zane considered this. “I was initially upset. I have not experienced that level of anger directed at a friend or fellow ninja before, and did not know how to process it. I should have evaluated this situation more carefully before I acted. I am not mad at you, no. I was frustrated by the situation at hand, and believe that I was experiencing…” Zane didn’t hesitate by human standards, but by nindroid, he might’ve. Jay wasn’t sure. “Sadness, perhaps? I found myself missing my father greatly, in that moment.”
Jay went to pat Zane on the shoulder, which Zane allowed.
“Your parents remind me of him. Both of them do. They have many overlapping interests and personality traits that I’ve noted, even in such a short meeting.”
“Oh.” Jay said, because he didn’t know what else to say.
“Of course, they are your parents,” Zane said, as if that made it final. Maybe it did. Maybe it should’ve.
But Jay, suddenly, had an idea.
Zane’s dad was dead. Kai and Nya’s parents were dead. Cole’s dad wasn’t a dad at all. But he had two parents. And they, they had plenty of attention to share. Right?
“I need to write a letter,” Jay said, straightening up abruptly. “Are we- are we okay?”
“Yes,” Zane agreed, “I believe we are amicable, my friend.”
“Good, good, great, I just- I need to go. Um, write this. Bye!”
Jay turned and left Zane’s room, barely taking the moment to shut Zane’s door after him before hurrying down the hall to his own room. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out a crinkled paper, and picked up his pencil.
-----------------------------------
“Woah, this place is huge!” Cole said, jumping down from his bike and kicking up the stand, before running to the sign in front of them. The neon lights flickered, one of the E’s still going in and out every few seconds. “Your parents run this whole place?”
“Yeah,” Jay said, trying not to wince as Cole went onto his tiptoes to try to see the top of one of the stacks of metal scrap and old car parts. “They- um, they have a system for it.”
“Curious.” Zane said, tilting his head, “I am assessing the items and have yet to see a pattern.”
“Uh-”
“It’s awesome!” Kai said, clapping Jay on the shoulder as he walked past him, “There’s so much cool stuff here! I bet they design some crazy stuff.”
“I’d love to get my hands on some of this scrap,” Nya said, eyes shining, “It could be super useful for my- my projects. Around the dojo. What’s their rate?”
“For friends of Jay, there’s no charge, dear!” Edna said, appearing from around the back of a pile of scrap, oil smudged across her face. “I’m so glad you could all make it!” Turning, she shouted, “Ed! Ed, love, Jay and his friends are here!”
There was a clattering sound, followed by banging, then more clattering, and then Ed popped up from around the corner as well.
“Hello, hello everyone!” Ed said cheerily, wiping his soot, or maybe grease, covered hands on his overalls. “Come on inside, Edna’s made some of her delicious strawberry rhubarb pie.”
“Oh, wow! You don’t need to tell me twice,” Cole said, following Ed into the camper.
The rest of the team followed, and Jay after them, trying not to cringe as the camper door swung open on a twice-repaired hinge to welcome them inside.
“Wash up first,” Edna said, as she washed her own hands at the kitchen sink. “Then we’ll eat.”
The ninja dutifully queued up after her.
“You know, Jay used to hate washing his hands!” Ed said cheerily, “We’d tried everything, arguing, pleading, making a game of it, nothing worked.”
“Until we found out he hated the soap! Couldn’t stand the smell of the one we used to have, what was it? Lemon, maybe?”
“I think it was orange.”
“Are you sure? I thought it was lemon, because it had that yellow stamp on the label.”
“Oh, no, you’re right. It was lemon.” Ed agreed, “We had to switch it to a lavender! After that, Jay had no problem washing up.”
“It was quite a tussle for a while, though,” Edna said, “I remember once, he tried to pretend all of Ninjago was out of water-”
“Mom!” Jay said - before hesitating. The other ninja were all carefully looking at the floor, or the counter. Meanwhile, Nya was looking straight at him.
“Uh, speaking of, would you mind if I grabbed some? Water, that is. I’m uh- thirsty.”
“Oh, of course!” Edna took down a cup for each of them - mismatched, a few with chips in the sides. One was a mug, its handle reattached with wire. “Anyway, Jay tried to turn off the water line. Instead, he backed it up!”
“I was working in the yard, and all of a sudden, half the lot was a mudpit! And there was Jay, still trying to tell me we were in a drought.”
The others laughed, and Jay felt his shoulders stiffen up.
“That’s incredible,” Cole said, drying his hands on a long-stained towel. “I once broke my dad’s framed, autographed photo of Cliff Gordon when I was a kid.”
“Not Cliff Gordon!” Kai elbowed Cole, “Isn’t your dad a huge fan?”
“Yeah, he was so pissed!” Cole said, shaking his head, “I told him, get this, that the rival quartet had come in and broken it! Meanwhile, there I was, bits of glass in my hair and all over my shoes!”
Everyone was laughing. Everyone was still laughing - and, Cole didn’t look embarrassed. Instead, he was laughing along with them.
Jay washed his hands, drying them on the same stained towel.
“I hope your father wasn’t too upset,” Edna said, “We grounded Jay, but not for breaking the line. Just for lying about it.”
“Oh, he was,” Cole said, “But he swept up all the glass and got some tweezers to get the shards out of my hair. Then he grounded me.”
“Wow,” Kai said, changing the topic with all the grace of a fire ninja in a stationary shop. “And here I thought Nya pretending to be a kidnapped princess was bad-”
“Don’t you dare tell that story.” Nya warned.
“Oh, you mean about the time you told your teacher that you were a lost princess, and I had kidnapped you away from your kingdom?”
“Shut up!” Nya was still smiling, though, even as she smacked Kai in the arm.
“Ow,” Kai said.”When did you get so strong?”
“Alright, kids, no fighting at the table!” Ed said, gesturing for them all to sit.
They all sat at the table, save for Edna, who carried over the pie, setting it down at the center of the table.
“That smells incredible,” Cole said.
“Oh, why thank you, Cole dear,” Edna said, getting to work at cutting it into slices. “This is one of Jay’s favorite recipes. He’d ask me to make it every year for his birthday.”
“Aw, that’s so cute!” Nya said, smiling at him.
Jay’s cheeks flushed red, embarrassed, but it didn’t feel quite so awful as it usually did.
Edna set slices into each plate, placing them down in front of each person, and then her own chair.
“Dig in!” She invited.
“Woah,” Kai said, after the first bite, “This is… woah.”
“It’s incredible,” Cole agreed, taking another bite immediately. “This is the best pie I’ve ever had.”
“I love it,” Nya agreed, “The crust is so flakey!”
“Please,” Zane said, setting down his fork and staring directly at Edna, “Provide me your recipe so that I may replicate this dish in the future.”
“Oh, gosh,” Edna blushed, “I’m flattered you all like it so much! You’re all too kind.”
“No,” Zane disagreed, “On the contrary, I am being honest when I say that this is a wonderful dessert. I understand why Jay requested it so often. It is delightful.”
Edna’s blush deepened, and she gestured to the pie. “I don’t have an exact recipe, per se, but I can show you how to make it, sometime?”
“I would enjoy that greatly.” Zane nodded immediately.
“Oh, please, yes,” Cole said, “I want to eat this every day forever.”
“Well, strawberries aren’t in season year round,” Edna said, “I suggest trying a different pie in the off months. Maybe the apple cinnamon Ed likes so much? I can make it for you all, next time you visit?” Edna’s voice had a hint of hesitation to it.
“Yes. Absolutely, yes.” Cole said.
“So long as you’re not too busy, of course,” Ed said, putting his hand on Edna’s arm. “We know how busy you ninja get. And Nya, it can’t be easy work repairing so many things around the dojo! Jay told us how hard you work.”
Jay felt his face heat up, and he quickly shoved another bite of pie in his mouth to avoid having to speak.
“Oh, it’s- thank you.” Nya said, “It is a lot of work, but I enjoy it a lot. It’s good to build things, it feels… helpful. I like being able to be part of the team, in my own way.”
“And you do an incredible job.” Ed said encouragingly, “Weren’t you the one who built those bikes out there?”
“Uh- yes, that, uh, was me.”
“Amazing!” Ed said, sitting forward. “Would you mind letting me take a look at it? I’d love to see how you configured the break system in with that engine block being in the middle like that."
"Oh, of course!" Nya lit up. "I can show you. It actually took a bit of adjusting. Originally, I planned on- Oh, it'd be easier if I just showed you."
"After you, then," Ed said, and Nya abandoned her empty plate to scurry outside, Ed following after her.
Jay watched them leave, then turned back to see Kai still looking out after them, a slight, sad sort of smile on his face.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to leave them alone together,” Jay said, kicking Kai’s foot under the table with his own to get his attention. “Dad’s going to take the whole thing apart if someone doesn’t stop him.”
“Huh?” Kai looked at Jay, then back at the door, then back at Jay again. “You’re right, I should- I should go keep an eye on them.”
Kai shoved the last bite of pie into his mouth, then headed for the door. Stopping, he turned to face Edna.
“Thank you, for the pie. And the- uh, for having us.”
“Of course! Any friend of Jay’s is always welcome,” Edna said.
Kai nodded stiffly, then turned away, vanishing out the door to join his sister and Ed.
“Well,” Edna sat back, taking a drink of water from her mug, “I suppose these dishes can wait. Tell me, Cole, dear, you said your father had a rival quartet?”
“Yeah, my dad’s in the Royal Blacksmiths,” Cole said, scraping his plate clean with his fork and popping the last scraps into his mouth. “He was really busy, you know, touring and competing and stuff.” His expression got that slightly tight look to it again, “Didn’t have a lot of time for things like home cooking, let alone something like this.”
“Oh!” Edna frowned slightly at that. “Well, it sounds like we’ve got a lot of catching up to do, then. Maybe you’d like to join Zane and I for some cooking? I could teach you how to make pie, of course, but maybe something else, too? Potstickers, sticky rice, noodles-”
“Oh boy, would I!” Cole said eagerly, face losing that pinched look to break into an easy smile. “I can’t let Zane get all the kitchen time, after all.”
“There are many hours I am not in the kitchen,” Zane said, “While it is true I occupy the most time of all of us, there is still ample time in the day in which the kitchen is unattended, and available for use.” Zane tilted his head slightly. “That said, I would enjoy company in the kitchen on occasion. I find that activities such as baking have copious downtime, wherein conversation and camaraderie are able to occur.”
“Sounds like a plan, then!” Cole grinned, before turning to face Edna. “When’d be a good time to start?”
“Well, once I get these dishes cleared, we can start now,” Edna offered.
Cole nodded, “That’d be awesome!”
“I will wash the dishes,” Zane said, standing up and gathering the plates.
“Oh, Zane dear, you don’t have to do that,” Edna said quickly, “I don’t mind doing them.”
“It is no bother,” Zane said, “I would like to repay your kindness in providing pie, and the opportunity to learn such a valuable skill from you.”
“Oh! Well,” Edna sat back down, and took another drink of her water. “What lovely friends you have, Jay.”
“Yeah,” Jay said, something warm growing in his chest and settling into place there. “I really do.”