Chapter Text
It had been a calm day.
Key word: had.
The ninja had been enjoying their day off, lounging inside since it was about a million degrees outside.
Someone’s phone buzzed.
“Who’s phone is that?” Kai groaned. He had been napping, and it must’ve woken him up.
Jay shrugged, looking around.
“It’s mine.” Lloyd had pulled out his phone, looking at the contact of the caller in confusion. “It’s the Commissioner?”
All of the ninja sat up.
“Answer it!” Nya said, probably eager to find something to do.
When the call started, the Commissioner looked terrified.
“Ninja! You need to come quick! There’s a fire at the apartment complex in downtown Ninjago!”
All the ninja gasped in unison.
“We’ll be there as quickly as we can.” Lloyd turned to the ninja, nodding.
They all nodded back, and soon they were suited up and leaving.
When they arrived at the scene, it was chaos.
People were screaming and running from the building.
“Nya, Zane!” Lloyd shouted over the comms. “I need you to try to contain the fire to the building! The firefighters are still 15 minutes away!”
Jay shook his head.
“WHY AREN’T THEY ALREADY HERE?!” He shouted, swiping at the sweat gathering on his forehead.
“I don’t know, Jay! Maybe we got this call before them? Who knows?!”
Jay sighed, flipping his hood over his head despite the heat.
“What are we supposed to do, Lloyd?” Kai asked over comms.
“Try to get everyone a safe distance away from the building!” Lloyd responded.
And that’s what they did.
For 10 grueling minutes, they helped evacuate the citizens of Ninjago, moving them safely to paramedics who were on scene.
Jay had just finished getting a child to their mother when a woman ran behind him, tapping his shoulder frantically.
Jay shot up, flipping around.
When he saw the woman, he could feel his heart breaking.
She looked exhausted, her mascara smeared with tears and hair tangled.
“Ma’am, what’s wrong?” He put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“My- my baby!” She sobbed. “My daughter, Sofia, she’s still in the building!”
Jay’s eyes went wide.
“Ma’am, I swear, I will get you your daughter back.”
The woman looked relieved.
“Thank you so much. You’re my hero.”
Jay smiled, though the woman couldn’t see because of his mask.
“Of course. What kinda hero would I be if I didn’t save people?” And then he was off, running towards the burning building.
“Guy’s, I’m going in.” He spoke to the ninja through his comms.
Immediately protests rang through.
“Jay, that building could collapse at any minute!” Nya shouted, worry obviously peaking in her tone.
Jay looked around for his yang, his eyes setting on hers.
“I have to try. It’s what a ninja does, isn’t it?”
Nya looked away, continuously spraying at the building with her element.
Jay ran into the building, immediately coughing from the smoke.
Jeez, was he glad he had a mask.
But that little girl doesn’t.
“Sofia?!” He shouted the girl's name, which the mother had mentioned.
A small cough could be heard nearby.
“Mommy..?” A little shout.
That girl is going to die if Jay doesn’t find her soon.
He walked around the room, searching for any small bodies.
“Hey, Sofia! I’m a ninja! Jay! Where are you?!” Boy, was Jay glad she was only in the lobby.
Sofia coughed again, closer now.
“Desk!” She piped up, and Jay could immediately spot the desk she was talking about.
“Oh, you smart girl…” He shook his head.
Running over to the desk, he lept behind and immediately saw her.
“Ninja!” She smiled, and Jay couldn’t help but smile back.
He nodded at Sofia.
“I’m gonna get you out of here, okay? But first you have to put on this mask.”
Sofia nodded, taking Jay’s mask from his hands and slipping it on her face.
Jay smiled at the way it smushed her hair, covering her eyes.
“I’ll carry you, is that okay?”
Sofia leapt up, reaching her arms out for Jay.
Jay had no idea how, but he immediately swept her up into his arms, in a way that only a father would know how.
Sofia giggled.
“You do that just like my daddy!”
Jay stood frozen until his comms buzzed in his ear.
“Jay…! Building…! Collapsing!” Lloyd’s voice echoed in his brain.
“Let’s go, kiddo.”
The two ran for the exit, when a cracking noise from above made Jay look up.
The floor above was about to give out.
“Sofia, I need you to run.” He ordered, his tone fierce like a parent's.
Sofia tilted her head.
“Why?”
“Just go, Sofia! Your mommy is waiting out there, okay?”
Sofia nodded, rushing away from Jay and out of the building.
For a split second, Jay thought that he could’ve made it out in time.
Go figure.
The ceiling above him collapsed, and all Jay could feel was a blinding pain in his back.
His vision faded, and the last thing he could think about was how sorry he was for Nya.
For all the ninja.