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Nya and Maya only had one hour of air supply at their depth, so Jay had no choice but to recharge the battery. They had both gone unresponsive while fighting some unknown enemy, they didn't have much of an idea of what happened at all while still stranded in the Hydro-Bounty.
So, really, what else was he supposed to do?
"Set course on that energy signal." he tried to sound enthusiastic, because he really was happy, glad his friends had given him the helm, and now, that they were able to save Nya.
They'd all tried to warn him. The first time he mentioned giving the battery a blast of his power was quickly met with Zane's warnings on how it was likely to be fatal, and with Nya not unresponsive yet, he was fine with going for…a less deadly solution.
But as soon as Nya went quiet, all those warnings were quickly forgotten. He lied, said he was going to get the oxygen-tanks when the ship started to flood. Clearly, it was an awful lie, because as soon as he made his way inside the room, the others were already banging at the door.
Immediately, he heard his friends racing to stop him, banging on the door, but he'd already wedged it shut. He wouldn't take any risks, he was already commited, already placing his hands on the battery and zapping his power into it. The pain was instant.
He couldn't have anyone coming in to save him, that would be dooming Nya.
Screaming, begging, trying to shout the same reasonings they had already given. For a moment, it scared him, even while he was commited to recharging the battery, lightning already zapping from his hands, because it already hurt so much, so how much more would it hurt?
Well, his plans were set in stone, even though he was utterly petrified of them. He was a ninja, he could push through some pain.
But the pain would grow, he knew the moment he zapped his lightning inside, his body already feeling overcharged with energy.
Jay stopped himself from thinking such things, because being a ninja was a world of hurt, and if you weren't willing to take a bullet for an innocent civilian because of "how much it would hurt later" meant you didn't really deserve to be a ninja, praised for their bravery.
His hands trembled when he took the wheel, his left screeched each time he moved particularily.
He would take off the gloves and check, but the Hydro-Bounty was already moving, finally, on their way to save Nya.
Nya - he loved her more than anyone in the world, literally, he was just willing to die for her, so Jay believed that showed it. But then why did his mind trail off back to that moment as they raced the sub through the deep, tracking their energy signals? He should be focusing on Nya, not worrying about the effects of some silly electricty, that he, the master of Lightning, shouldn't be so affected by!
But it affect him, it almost killed him, he felt it himself, and all he could do to stop himself from letting go was think about Nya, imagine the regret he'd live with for the rest of his life if he let the others find some other way to recharge it, maybe then, it would take too long, then Nya would be without oxygen, maybe trapped with what, or whoever attacked them.
He shut his eyes, bracing for the pain, it was one of the only things he could do.
Fighting what every cell in his body told him to do - let go. He wouldn't, he couldn't listen to such things.
Skin scorching, fingers curling, they could just lift off an inch, and everything would stop, but Jay was good at fighting through his mind thinking on its own, he had jumped off buildings with wings he designed himself as a kid, of course he could fight his mind's instincts.
He nearly drove the sub into a boulder with how distracted he got, Lloyd yelped and grabbed the wheel, "Jay!" he swerved away, a few pieces of rubble nearly hitting the sub.
Jay quickly grabbed the wheel too, but with his burnings hands, it made everything worse. With the sudden jolt of the ship, his head spun, but at the side, he looked at the map, the signal where Nya and Maya were last located just a couple hundred metres away, so he had to concentrate.
"Woah…" Lloyd sighed, his hand stayed on the wheel, Jay's did the same, but the one that he didn't pull off was holding on way too tight, one hand pulled away in reflex while the other had dug further in, the burning seemed like it threatened to come back once he let go.
"Jay, what was that?" Zane exclaimed, unbuckling and stepping behind him for a moment.
Lloyd eyed him, then cautiously removed his hands from the wheel, to which Jay took his place again. His friends had given him the privelege of driving, he had to do this right.
So he locked his eyes onto the outside, and tried to ignore the ringing in his ears, how the lights of the sub turned the pitch-black trench into a blistering hot day, somehow making sweat cling to every part of him.
Pixal stayed focused on the drive ahead, but still gave a moment to raise her eyebrow and dig her eyes into him. "Ha ha, I'm—" he stammered, then gripped the wheel with his other hand, at least it partly stablised his shaking. "I don't know— it's nothing, just distracted! Just, um- let's go save them!"
The others took a second, but they nodded and went back to their stations.
This time, all he could really do to block out everything happening to his body was squint the lights away, grip the wheel tight, and remind himself that Nya was the priority, not his stupid, disobedient body.
Eveythig was going to be okay.
—
He could admit that he worried a little too much when it came to Nya, of course she could handle herself, but he didn't regret what he did, even if when he ducked into the sub for a quick-escape, that pain came back immediately, like a ghost cursed to only haunt one home.
They'd came at just the right time, got Nya and Maya inside, while Lloyd caught up after holding back some of the Merlopians.
Before that, there was a whole regicide plot, escaping some killer-sharks, then finally, getting help escaping from another Merlopian prince, who claimed to be against Kaalmar. They were a little suspicious at first, but once they got onto the sub, everyone trusted him quickly after, it was easy to clutch onto any help you can get in situations like these.
"Well, that was a lot." Maya blurted once the merlopians were gone and Lloyd was in the sub. Nya chuckled, she offered a hand to Lloyd as he climbed down the ladder and into the cockpit.
Her voice was intense, a high-pitched squeel that he couldn't decipher whether was just the blaring ringing in his ear. He didn't have much time to decipher anything while he tried keeping up with the others. It seemed like a treck from the door to their seats, the others seemed just fine with that walk, they smiled, then jumbled nonsense at each-other.
Huh…
Nya pointed around, at some point, he heard a name.
His name…?
Burning, everything was…hot, like Kai was shooting fireballs at his face. Anyway, Kai wouldn't do that, blows to the head were prohibited, and anyway, where was he?
Moaning, he shook his head because he had to get rid of whatever magical infection had seeped inside, messing up his brain. But that didn't work, so it must be something else…
Nya, who had said his name, was looking his direction now. He still tried to hide it, because they just got back from an intense battle, witnessed a murder, evaded death, so how dare his body do whatever its about to do right after? "Jay?" that one bursted through his eardrums, and quickly made any ringing in the corners of his hearing jump to the middle, blasting every little noise in there, but turning it into a mush that made that ringing get even louder.
His hands covered them, then wiped at his forehead, his cheeks, but the sweat in his clammy gloves made everything even hotter.
There was green, it was getting closer.
Jay, you okay…"
It sounded as if someone was whispering across the room. He removed his hands from his ears, hoping to hear, but quickly forgot what he did it for when his hands went straight to a chair, trying to keep him up, then finally, his head followed.
—
"We did warn him several times, but he insisted."
What?
"He did it to save you." a younger voice than the last.
The last thing he remembered was…a fight in this underwater temple? Then, what was next?, it was over, he could finally relax as they got inside the sub again. But then he remembered, his body had no time to relax, that's when everything hit him all at once.
Pain, heat, burning, shaking, the nausea.
He dug his head into the pillow. When did he get into a bed? Well, it was very comfortable, so he continued, and groaned through the haziness that he so desperately tried to pull himself out of, but his semi-conscious mind felt the cotton beneath and insisted on falling further into it.
Softness, his whole body felt soft: he wasn't in his wetsuit GI anymore, his legs didn't ache like they did, even though he didn't really do that much. Something soft touched his hands, wrapped around them, something curling in-between each finger. Despite not understanding a thing, he dug into it, squeezing back with the little strength his body had.
The hand flinched, and a little pain flared into that hand.
Oh.
He suddenly remembered. Right now, he laid in a bed, maybe not his bed, but he had his pyjamas on, so someone must have changed him. Well, that seemed a bit invasive.
At least he didn't have that uncomfortable wetsuit on anymore, so he couldn't complain any further. He noticed the pillow was soft, but the mattress not so much. If he was more used to the Hydro-Bounty, he would probably know where he was, or if he was more in reality, that is.
There was lightning, so much lightning that mixed with the electricity pulsing through the battery, meddling with his insides. They all warned him, but he insisted, as someone had just said above him.
He would prefer not to remember that, because suddenly, the burning was back in his mind, and in turn, it shot a burst of something up his arm. Well, at least that woke him up.
"Jay!" Nya yelled, launching forward at Jay shooting up from the pillow, his breath fast and shallow.
His hands dug half into the mattress, and half into a thin, but soft blanket now half dangling off the bed. He was in the Med-Bay, he hadn't even reached this part of the tour Pixal had given them, yet had already landed himself here. The hazy voices had silenced, but as soon as he was sat up, he was introduced to real, very clear voices, and it didn't make any of this better.
"Oh, Jay, gosh…you scared me." Nya sighed and grabbed his hand. He looked down, then remembered the reason for that pain when he saw the state of it.
Lining down from each finger-tip was a thin, paler trail in the shape of lightning, like energy itself, the one that had shot up from the battery and travelled through each vein, causing that awful pain that flashed into his memory again.
Zane was there at his right, he looked away and focused on his right hand, this one covered with bandages, but that same pattern striking through the gaps. His own element.
"Hello, Jay, how do you feel?" he inquired.
Huh. he grabbed his head, Nya was leading him back down, but the pillow behind was lifted up a little, so he didn't look stupid faced flat at the ceiling while the others talked to him.
Zane chuckled at his words (or was it just a weak grumble?) he didn't realise he said out loud. "Sorry, could you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?"
"Um…" he pulled his right arm to his chest, his heart still obviously beeping out of its mind, but surely it was better than what it did when recharging the battery, beating so hard Jay was convinced it would explode. If he could rate that one on the pain scale, it would be a ten. "Uh, ten…" he mumbled, and noticed the damp, cold cloth Lloyd rubbed over his head.
What was all this pampering?
The others raised their eyebrows and looked at each-other, Jay looked down to his hand all bandaged up, "I mean….uh, five."
Zane sighed and walked close, he ducked away unitil he realised he was grabbing a remote to adjust the bed. He must have noticed his confusion, so he spoke again, "You passed out after we escaped from Merlopia, do you remember?" Jay hesitantly nodded, "Do not be alarmed, but it was an effect of you recharing the battery, your body was very exhausted, but you're resting now." he gave a soft smile.
Behind him, Pixal scooted in with a glass of water, she brought it to his face and plopped the straw into his mouth. He clearly was still very out of it, he felt aware, but his body was so weak he couldn't express any of his words clearly.
He lifted his hand, it still shook, but there wasn't as nearly as much pain as before, when he tried hiding it. "You recieved burns from the battery, so much electricty is bound to do that."
Nya softly let go of his left hand, then pointed to it, Jay lifted it up, the shake less evident on that side, but clearly, something still wrong.
"And you really overexerted your power." she explained, seeing his hand reach for his head when they previously spoke, she was quiet, "There's some shaking…and, we don't know how long it'll last." Zane nodded at her words, which gave him time to stare at his hands.
He noticed it a few moments ago, but this time, he really looked. Like they traced every vein in his hand, they travelled in precise directions, too many lines deviating off each-other to count them, like branches off a tree getting smaller and smaller as they grow off one-another.
And the shaking wouldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried.
"What is it?" he finally managed to choke out.
LLoyd quickly jumped in, pointing at the most noticeable shape, one travelling from his middle finger to the wrist, but continuing even under his sleeves, so who knew how long it went on for? "It's a cool new scar, at least?"
"Right."
Pixal had placed the water on the bed-side table moments ago, and now he was already reaching for it again. He didn't understand why he would even try with his annoying trembling hands, Pixal stepped forward, "Here."
"I don't need you to feed me." he moaned, trying to take the cup for himself, but he realised he couldn't fight anyone at this stage, so he slumped back into the pillow and submitted to the humilation, or as much humilation his confused mind could process. They'd already undressed him and got him into his cozy pyjamas, so how much worse could it get?
Nya smiled, watching him as he drank, then very softly grabbed his hand again, "You recharged it to save me…and my mom, right?"
He tried gripping her hand back, but the tremors wouldn't stop, so he squeezed once to at least let her know. "I'd do it again, y'know that?" he grinned.
"It was very unwise." Zane butted in, he stood tall above them, his arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. Though, he figured it was mostly directed at Nya, who if she showed appreciation towards the gesture, might encourage him to do it again. Still, he was greatful, and admired Jay for the bravery, but—
still, it was foolish, compulsive, and—
"Right, right." he coughed, brushing him away.
Zane raised an eyebrow and released his firm stance, his silly way of trying to be intimidating, "How is your breathing?" he kneeled down.
Like on their way to saving Nya and Maya, it wasn't the best, he tried to answer but he only lurched forward and grabbed at his chest, his torso shaking like his hands. Lloyd stepped back, handing Jay the cold cloth, he wasn't sweating nearly as much as when they were waiting for him to wake.
And whatever medicine they'd given him was working wonders, because his blistering pain as he resisted passing out from before had dwindled into a five, perhaps now a four, but the coughing may have sent that up again.
When he could form longer sentences, he should tell Pixal how well she designed the place. It was topped with high-end medical equipment, white and profesional, but with beige and blue accents to not make it seem so…clinical, and also to tie in with that underwater thing.
"Uh, not the—" he took a deep breath, taking back air that tried escaping, "not the best, but I'm fine."
"If you were fine, you would not have passed out, Jay." he shook his head and reached upwards, fiddling with something, a tube hanging down from it. He realised as he followed that tube that it was connected to him, he looked at the thing stuck inside him, 'maybe that's the medication…' he thought. He looked down, "You have been unconscious for over an hour."
He mouthed an "oh", and leaned back when Zane hunched over him again, he held a mask, "Perhaps I should invest in upgrading my medical abilities." he commented, then signalled for Jay to comply as he propped a mask over his face. Well, he probably looked even more pathetic now.
The thought of recharging the battery being not the best idea wrangled into his mind for a second, but he quickly shook it away.
"I can help you with that, just page me, and I'll—"
"Not until you are healed, which may be a while." he interrupted, he stepped back now, done with whatever he was doing to his body to check if something as simple as using his own element wasn't going to kill him.
"Ugh, how—" he tried sitting up, but fell back again, Nya reached forward, finally taking his hand again, but she did all the gripping, "How long?"
"Your hands are my main concern." he responded, he looked down at them, it was something he couldn't keep his eyes off. Mainly, it was because it was his element, the little flickers of lightning scarring his skin being his own power he had spent years harnessing. Nya frowned, but Jay ignored it, "They are trembling, you have burnt your left, I'm concerned it will take a long time to control it, and it will greatful affect your…" he trailed off, then cleared his throat, "Though you should focus on resting, your body is low on energy, and your vitals are not stable, at the moment—"
"Am I okay to stay on the mission?" he blurted out.
And after this, would he be okay to do anything at all? Work on Zane's repairs? Hold a sword?
It might be a silly question judging by his inability to even squeeze Nya's hand, sit up, drink water for himself, breathe, and-
"We can't exactly turn back, can we?" Nya cautioned, she knew what she wanted, for Jay to go back to the Monastery and rest, but with the Merlopians surely on their tail, it would be difficult to turn back now.
Pixal looked around the room, then locked eyes with Zane, then the two shook their heads unanimously. "We will continue to monitor you, if an emergency arises, we will have to come up with a way back." Pixal explained, pressing her hands to her chin.
Jay pulled his legs up, they felt like jelly, he could barely feel his feet against the mattress, he didn't think he could walk in this state. Even though he is usually quick to fight medical advice from the team, he couldn't resist this fact.
"Please, I'm not gonna die." he laughed, the room stayed silent, he fidgeted with the oxygen-mask, sweat trickling down his temple. "Continue with the mission, pretend I'm not even here."
He did this for a reason, to let the mission continue, to know that Nya would keep living. Doing that knowing he could have died meant this wasn't so much different; for the meantime, he was just out of commission.
"Except…" his voice crackled, so he reached for the water again, but remembered how it would fail like the last time, "someone needs to feed me or something, 'cause I sure can't." Nya shook her head, but with a smile anyway, and grabbed the water. He wished the two of them could be in here alone, but his friends were way too worrisome for that.
"We will be sure to help you eat." Zane explained, "If it is too difficult, we could deliver food through an—"
Jay knew what he would say, and his hands flew to the air immediately. "Wah, wah, wah, no- you're not sticking a tube up my nose, thank you very much!"
Nya chuckled as she helped him take sips from the straw, he knew how fragile he must look, and he knew it too from the way Nya softly held him up, raising her eyebrows and staring into his face. She took a glance at his hands for a second, then looked right into him again.
"Just…thank you for doing that, it was really brave."
"Heh, as I said, I'd do it again, no biggie."
She shoved the cup closer to his face, trying to force more liquids into him, she smiled harshly, all her teeth showing, "Right, but never do anything like that again." her voice softened towards the end, "Next time, I'll take a hit for you, it'll be my turn for the sacrificial act."
Jay chuckled and took her hand, "You know I'd never let you do that."