Chapter 2

Quick note- Don't expect updates that often, I am a very lazy person! This is basically a one off!

Reviews:

Zaneloverfan88: Thankyou! I'm really glad you like it! :)

Many thanks to Zaneloverfan88 and relena soulheart for following the story, and to Zaneloverfan88 again for the favourite!

I only own my OC.

Lloyd's POV

I gaze around the restaurant, bored out of my mind. My eye passes over the clock.

07:59

They still have one minute I guess.

I look longingly over at the food conveyer belt.

Soon.

I look back up at the clock.

Three. Two. One.

Two figures push through the door, almost blocking it in their effort to surpass each other. I roll my eyes.

Cole and Jay.

I wave my teammates over to the table I currently occupy. Jay sits next to me, giving Cole a death glare before purposefully staring at the wall as if it had a poster of Nya on it. Cole retaliates, sitting opposite me and gazing at the opposite wall to Jay, as if that had a poster of Nya on it. Or maybe a poster of Kara. I shake the thought out of my head, before another replaces it. If THESE two are still upset, no wonder I didn't convince Kara properly.

I get knocked out of my daydream by the sight of Cole reaching for a bowl of noodles. I slap his hand away, gaining a questioning glare from said Earth ninja.

"We wait for the others, talk, and then eat."

Cole harrumphs his disagreement, before staring longingly at the food.

Neither of these guys are going to talk-

"So, did you invite, you know, Kara?"

I stare at Cole in surprise, which lengthens when I see the emotion in his eyes.

Is that…hope?

I clear my throat.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't get my hopes up, she seemed quite mad when I asked."

Cole sighs, and resigns back to staring longingly at the conveyer belt, with his frown slightly deeper.

If you really cared that much, you wouldn't have tried to get with her SISTER for Spinjitzu's sake.

The doorbell tinkles and I snap back into focus. Kai. I glance at the clock quickly.

08:10

Looks like Kara's not coming.

I wave like crazy to get Kai's attention.

"Kai, back here!"

He walks over, starting when he sees my companions.

"Jay? Cole?"

Cole turns away from his conveyer belt moping.

"Heh, you too?"

He turns back. Jay joins in in surprising agreement.

"The runt tricked us all."

Runt?! I'm the green ninja! Who're you calling a runt?!

I force myself to remain calm, intercepting Kai's hand as he reaches for the conveyer belt.

"We talk first, then eat."

"Ugh, trust me, do you know what kind of restrain I've had to have, staring at all this noodle goodness?! You're late!"

Cole, you're beginning to get on my nerves.

"Make it quick."

Kai, this time. I take a breath, starting my speech.

"I don't think Kara's coming;"

Grunts all-round.

"So, I know without Zane things have been…different. But, we have to move on. The reason I brought nearly all of you here is because…maybe…we should…add someone…new to our team."

"A new ninja?!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"C'mon, Zane's irreplaceable!"

I ignore them and continue.

"I cared for him too, but know it's time to care about this team!"

"Well maybe without Zane…and…Kara, there is no team!"

Didn't know you cared so much about your adopted sister. I mean, you REALLY made it obvious when you refused to listen to her just because she wasn't your twin by birth in the junkyard!

Nevertheless, we all droop our stature slightly, me in defeat, the others in sad memory. And that's when the Punks walked in. Jay noticed them first.

"Don't look now, but we've got trouble!"

(AN: LINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAK)

Kara's POV

Who knew it cost that much to get a cab here, then pay him to keep quiet! Sheesh!

I check my designer watch, a present from my flatmate.

08:15

I am very, very, late. Lloyd's gonna kill me, I don't wanna think about the others…about…Cole.

I head towards the noodle house door, taking deep breaths.

In. Out. In. Out.

I brush myself down slightly. I have to show that I've been 'fine' without him. I don't need him.

Liar.

I DON'T need him.

Again, liar.

I shut out the annoying voice in my head, before pushing the door open.

"Hi, guys, sorry I'm late, getting to this side of town was a nightmare-"

I see the boys in a full scale fight with these weird looking snake-men posse. I roll my eyes.

"Can't you go anywhere without making a mess guys?"

I jump right in, landing on one of the creeps' shoulders, almost like he was giving me a ride, before flipping him backwards and jumping off as neatly as I could. Low and behold, I end up standing facing the one guy I didn't want to talk to. Cole. He smiles at me charmingly, his chopsticks snatching food out of the air and putting it into his mouth. That ignorant, life ruining, arrogant little-

*Thonk*

Something hits me on the back of the head, and I fall against Cole's chest. I instantly push off, and thonk the guy who hit me on the head, hard as I can. His eyes roll backwards for a second, and his stumbles back onto the conveyer belt where Kai is kicking plates at the leader-like one. I decide not to make a quip, and instead focus on the fight. I jump as high as I can, tucking and rolling, dodging the flying food as best I can when I barrel into the last guy, making him knock his head against the conveyer belt. I struggle slightly,almost collapsing, but I lift him into a dog pile on top of his buddies, who lie in a defeated, moving heap. I flip onto the counter where Lloyd and Jay ae leaning lazily, and collapse into a casual sitting down position, smirking.

"How can you work away from this?"

I clear my throat meaningfully.

"Oh yeah hi Kara."

When the others don't respond, he nudges Kai, who starts before grinning.

"Hey look, it's Kara Smith, can I get your autograph, huh? Can I? Can I?"

I glare at him, before Jay and Cole's greetings catch my attention.

"Hey."

"…Hey…"

The scream of a little girl interrupts me before I can make any sort of cutting remark. We all look startled over at said little girl, watching amusedly as her mother hits the beaten up guys with a plate. I catch a sight of the face that the food has given one of them. Cole and I laugh at the same time, before I realise what's happening and glare for a second, then my real emotion shines through and I look away, saddened.

I hope he didn't see that.

As I look up, I catch a glimpse of the thugs running out of the fire exit, the leader, being the last one, raises his eyebrows tauntingly at the others, then winks suggestively at me. I feel my face heat up angrily, before following the others as they pursue them onto the… empty courtyard?

I glare at the shadows in case that's where they're hiding, before I hear Kai.

"W-where'd they go?"

I end up standing unfortunately next to Cole as we congregate around a note knifed to the wall, a table lit by a single candle, and a bowl of fortune cookies. All of us are silent as we stare at the picture on the parchment.

"Uh, guys."

"It's…Zane."

"What does it say?!"

"Yeah, what does it say?"

Lloyd pushes in front of us, pulling the note from the wall.

"It says… He's alive…"

We all collectively gasp. Kai speaks up.

"I don't think those thugs were delivering a message to the noodle house. I think they were delivering message to us!"

I roll my eyes.

"Noooo, I thought they wanted to throw us a Spongebob party accompanied by the Simpsons, and driven to by Sonic!"

Kai glares at me for a moment, before sighing.

"Eh, I guess I deserved it after the Junkyard."

I nearly faint, barely managing a smile.

It takes a moment to settle in, in which time I have almost subconciously taken the note from Lloyd, double checked it, and confirmed it with a shaken nod.

Jay pipes up.

"What do you mean it says 'he's alive'."

"Hey, he's just telling you what it says!" I defend him.

"Why would those thugs lead us here?"

"You know, this has to be some cruel joke, and I'm not laughing."

"You know, I have to agree with Cole-bucket on this one."

The others looked surprised at my reply, Cole especially. I shrug and fold my arms, trying to get their attention away from me. Thank the first spinjitzu master for Lloyd.

"Look,"

He motions to the bowl of fortune cookies.

"I think these were meant for us too…"

Jay cuts in now.

"Fortune cookies? Very peculiar."

I'm about to make a sarcastic comment before Lloyd interrupts me.

"Should we?"

Cole instantly takes one and stuffs it in his mouth. I face palm. Kai backs me up when he asks;

"Uh. You do know there's a fortune inside,"

He cracks his open to show the slip of paper.

"Right?"

Cole swallows.

"Oh-oh, so that's why they're called that. I face palm at my Ex's actions…again. Lloyd takes centre of attention again.

"Listen to this; Master Chen has personally invited you to participate in his… tournament…of…elements."

Cole cuts back in.

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that mister Chen, the same guy filling my belly with delicious noodle goodness is actually… Master Chen?"

I facepalm for the third time that day. Kai begins to read, followed suit by Jay.

"Secrecy is of the upmost importance. Tell no one or suffer the consequences…

"If you ever want to see you friend again, meet on the pier at midnight and leave your weapons behind…"

I decide to read mine out as well.

" Sincerest regards, Eye-zor and CO. What kind of a name is that? Does he have a sore eye or something- oh right, he only has one, heh, I get it. How did they know we'd even read them in this order?"

Jay shrugged, before the slip in my hand disappeared into smoke, followed by his, then Kai's and then Lloyds. We all looked anxiously over at Cole. He let out a slight squeal as there was a small boom from his stomach, making him jump, before letting out a belch. He held his stomach for a moment.

"Well, at least I know I was invited."

Even I laughed at this, which made him smile. Lloyd and Kai, of course, had to ruin it.

"You don't think…"

"It could be a trap, a lie, to lure us in."

And of course, Jay had to join in.

"Yeah, but what if it's not?! What if Zane's alive?!"

I pondered slightly, watching Lloyd as he glanced over the parchment again.

"The Tournament of Elements… I'm starting to think that this Master Chen, makes more than just noodles."

Kai then spoke up with what I thought to be his best comment so far.

"You can forget bringing in a new ninja Lloyd. Let's go see about an old one."

That's when I remembered the thought I had earlier. I burst out laughing, earning strange looks from the boys.

"D-don't, Worry-he-he-he!"

By the time I had composed myself, they were gone. The only thing left was Kai's voice.

"Aw snap, I didn't get that autograph!"

Review!