Authors Notes: If you haven't read Bronze Colored Heart or Frozen Timepiece this story will not make any sense. Will update daily!

Master of String

Chapter 31

Hard to say

The room was darkened, the only light came from the overhead display on the whiteboard across from the college students. A young woman with bright red mid back length hair. Her green eyes watched the students before her as she explained the elemental masters of old. Her words droned on and on. Each student seemed bord to tears, but kept writing notes as they were supposed to. The smile on Kates face continued to stay. She wasn't just talking about the elemental masters she was talking about family.

"Mrs. Julien the Master of string seems a little stupid don't you think?" One of the students up front asked. Kate smiled and shook her head.

"Not so. Before this master went into hiding he used to use his strings to manipulate peoples bodies in a sort of puppet way. They were unable to do anything to cut the string. They were forced to commit crimes, kill people, and even kill themselves. Luckily for us he was killed off by Garmadon in the war with the serpentine." The bell rang. The students stood up and raised for the door.

"Homework since I'll be gone for a few weeks. I want a report on each master mentioned today! Also turn in those notes with those reports so I know which ones you actually noticed I was talking about!" She said getting groads out of all of them.

Kate watched all her students leave and suddenly realized someone had taken as seat in the classroom. She blushed and bowed to Misako.

"I'm afraid you seem to bore them." She said and watched as Kate playfully fake swooned.

"Oh the horror."

"You ready?" Misako asked leading the way. Kate sighed and nodded.

"Its a lot better then the class room I can promise you that." Kate climbed the stairs to the musuem on the other side of the building.

"Good because you'll be taking command of the dig." Kate gasped and nearly tripped over her own two feet.

"Do what?!" She yelled

"Heres your list of assistants. No one else is allowed at the dig." Misako said and smiled at her. "Your being promoted." Kates eyes grew wider then dinner plates.

"Promoted!" She fainted right into the doorway of her office. Echo jumped when the door slammed open. He looked down at Kate. He ran around his desk and took her in his arms.

"Kate…?" He looked up at Misako who was still laughing. "Why is this funny?" He asked holding his wife to him.

"I promoted her...she fainted." Misako said. Echo fanned her and sighed. They had been married now only three months. This time legally. Their marriage certificate hung on the wall in the office they shared.

"Kate!" Echo patted her cheek. Kate slowly came back around. She sat right up and looked around.

"Echo! I'm a full archeologist!" She yelled. She had now been working for Misako for three years.

"Yes I've been informed." He said helping her up off the cold floor. She wobbled for a moment. Echo held her up by the elbows until she was steady enough to go into her office.

"I guess...I sign on the dotted line then?" She asked Misako. She nodded her head and looked up at Echo.

"I heard you are now a ful nurse." Misako asked. Echo pointed to the diploma on the wall.

"I took the test a week ago. I got my diploma today." He told her and smiled proudly. "I'm now a full dig medic." He said and looked up at Kate who smiled at him proudly. "Couldn't have done it without her help. She was very supportive."

"If I remember right you showed a lot of interest in the art while I was a shipwreck victim on your kitchen floor." Kate said. Echo chuckled and handed her a pen.

"I guess...this starts your life fully?" Misako said.

"Almost." Kate said blushing and looking up at Echo.

"Oh?" Misako said looking at Kate who shook her head and inhaled slowly, but smiled brightly.

"Oh don't worry about it. It won't hurt our work." She shrugged her shoulders and handed the signed sheet to Misako. Echo took Kates hand and walked out of the room. The door closed on its own. Misakos body fell limp, but her arms were still being held up.

"So this is what revenge feels like hum? Poor Miss Misako, your whole family...everyone of them...will die." The voice was low, almost a whisper.

Kate and Echo walked up the ramp toward the Destiny's Bounty chatting about anything and everything. They now had their own place, but they had to come talk to the ninja. It was always their ritual before they went on digs. Visit with family, and friends. Its something they would miss when they were away.

Kate walked up on the top deck only to have people start cheering. She looked a little surprised and then turned to look at Echo who shrugged. He must have told Zane who announced it to the others. Zane had set up some tables and had lots of food on it. It was a celebration for Kate and Echo for passing the tests, and getting the promotion.

"You all spoil us." Kate giggled even spotting Ronin off to one side. He had drug Darreth along for the ride. Apparently the two had hit it off well. Kate didn't realize her brothers door swung that way, but she thought it was adorable.

Ronin seemed to keep tabs on his sister, and sometimes showing up on bad days when she needed to talk to someone and Echo wasn't around, or they had a little argument.

"Of course we spoil you. Your our sister." Cole said waving the idea away and held out a plate with some cake on it. Kate looked at it and then at Cole.

"Don't worry Kate I made the cakes." Pixal said and smiled at her. Pixal also sported a titanium wedding ring that had the Julien symbol on it like herself. Although Kates was Bronze, made from a melted down piece of metal from Echos first form. Echo didn't look a lot like his brother anymore. He had Borg model his hair as a little ruffled rather then completely standing straight up like his brothers. Borg thought it was a lovely idea and toyed with it. Kate thought it was the most perfect change. Although his facial features were still much like his brother.

"As much as I hate to say it. We'll end up having to cut this short. I've got to manage the stock that will go on the ship. Which means now that Echo is a medic I'm going to need him to give me a list of things he'll need." She sighed and looked at Echo.

"It can't wait till tomorrow?"

"Not unless you want to rush everything." She told him. Echo sighed and looked at his oil in his cup. "Oh not right away Echo, just not as longa s we normally are." She giggled swatting at him.

Zane looked at his brother who was playing coy to his wife. He just wanted her to giggle.

"Mr. Borgs finished the machine. Its inside their house." Pixal said looking up at Zane who pulled her to him. He knew what she was suggesting. It was something on their mind for a while. It took three years to perfect. But if by any chance they could...two nindroids...could they have children? They didn't have a sort of DNA. Their were schematic blueprints that sorted themselves out like DNA. But this machine was specialized in in human nindroid DNA. Would it be possible, and could they handle the rejection if it couldn't be done?

"Maybe we'll ask, once they've used it for themselves. It would be rude otherwise." Zane said to Pixal.

After Kate and Echo waved goodbye to their family and friends they made their way back home. Echo fell onto the couch stretching his legs out and watched Kate put her bag near the door. It was a small house they had built near the ocean. Echo just loved the sound, it reminded him of home. Plus it was very scenic, and private where they were. A perfect place to call home. Echos eyes fell on a small letter on the breakfast bar. He stood up and opened the letter.

Dearest Julien family,

First off it was an absolutely lovely wedding, and I hope you both have a very long life, and lots and lots of children.

Love,

Borg.

PS: Tell me if it works. I'd love to see.

Echo gasped and looked at Kate. Kate looked around at him having heard him. She briskly walked over to him curious as to what could cause him to react in such a way.

"Echo?" She asked. He gently took her hand and went down into the basement. Their in the corner was an exact replica of the machine in Dr. Sanzas compound. Kate took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Echo this is...this is that machine." She turned and looked at Echo. He had his hand held out. Kate slowly stepped forward and held out her hand. He dropped the flash drive that had their DNA saved on it. Her hand went up to her mouth and she looked up at Echo.

"This...This is the…" She swallowed hard not able to talk.

"Do you want to be a parent with me?" He asked. Apparently this had been done without Kates knowledge. He knew she had a deep desire to have children which was a lot of the problem at the court. If it weren't for Borg showing them the blueprints for this machine then they probably wouldn't have had the court's permission to marry.

"Echo...what would it...be?" She asked. Her legs stepped forward without her. She held her hand out and touched the tank. It was warm.

"Whatever it wants." Echo said pulling up the display. He held his hand out for hers. She lowers the flash drive into the machine and Echo pushed the activate button.