Song: Melanie Martinez- Tag, You're It
Mckenzie yawned. She glanced at her clock as she pulled herself out of bed.
10:30? Man, she'd slept late. She started to walk into the kitchen and see if somebody had left her food, when she realized Rachel was missing. A hurried search for her phone, which was under the bed, proved useful. There was a text from Rachel.
The other six ninja were at the table, laughing about how Jay had spotted a spider, and failed to kill it, instead screaming like a five year old.
"I got chased by a tiger widow! Okay guys, laugh it up, let's see you guys after you get chased by a deadly spider." Jay rolled his eyes. Suddenly a bloodcurdling shriek filled the bounty.
"That was Mckenzie!" Lloyd exclaimed. All of the ninja scrambled and were running like mad to get to Mckenzie's room. When they got there, Mckenzie was still screaming, and Cole grabbed her and pulled her to him. She didn't look hurt. He started stroking his sobbing sister's hair.
"Heeeyyyy, Kenzie, it's okay. What's wrong?"
"Rachel..." Mckenzie whimpered.
"What do you mea, 'Rachel'? Kenzie, you're gonna have to talk to me." Cole jumped. A loud noise crashed in the room.
"What in the hell!" Cole heard Kai, Jay, and Lloyd exclaim at the same time. Cole turned to look at what they were looking at, and what had made the explosion. They were hovering over Mckenzie's phone. The video they watched was sickening. It was a fifteen second video, and had been sent from Rachel's phone. Jay hit the replay button. Cole watched with a sickened look.
It displayed Rachel, bound and gagged to a chair in a small dark room. Her hair was tangled, and she was dirty. The clap sounded again. Suddenly Rachel crumbled, and blood was pouring out of her face. A deep, scratchy voice could be heard in the background
"You'll be next." The clip ended there.
"That's sick! Why in the hell would whoever that was kill Rachel?" Jay asked.
"I- I don't know..." Cole said softly. Watching her die was like having a piece of his heart ripped out.
"And why does it say, 'You'll be next.'?" Kai asked worriedly. His phone beeped. He pulled it out his pocket, looking at the others with an almost terrified look on his face.
"Ohhh damn..." Kai muttered.
"What!" Nya squeaked.
"'Good question, master of fire. You'll find out soon enough. You're #3.'" Kai read from his screen.
"Oh, that's just lovely, we're all gonna get death threats! From someone who we know is going to keep his word!" Jay started ranting.
"How is that lovely? I believe that death threats are far from lovely." Zane spoke up.
"Zane, I was being sarcastic. Can't your nindroid brain understand that?" Jay was getting really freaked out, and Jay freaked out, he was completely irrational.
"Guys! Let's just focus on what's important right now!" Lloyd tried to take control. "How did he know you asked that question?" Now Lloyd's phone made a noise.
"Don't open it!" Jay demanded.
"This is freaky. 'I've got eyes and ears everywhere. I'm watching you #4'" Lloyd passed the message on to his friends.
"Whyyyyyy! Why are we all getting stalked!" Jay moaned. Jay's screen lit up.
"Oh shit. I shouldn't have asked that. 'Because you all deserve to die.#5' Can this guy make it less hurtful?" Jay's phone buzzed again.
"'You do.' Very comforting."
"Let's just try to figure this out... Zane, can you try to find out where Rachel's phone is? Can you track it?" Kai asked.
"I can try." He took Mckenzie's phone from Nya, and messed with it for a minute. "I'll have to take it into the computer room and dig in. Jay? Would you help me?" Zane asked.
"Sure." Jay replied. He followed Zane, who breezed out of the room. Cole sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled Mckenzie onto his lap. He just hugged her, while Lloyd, Kai, and Nya searched the room for cameras.
"Found one!" Nya exclaimed after about twenty minutes. It was about half the size of a pinky fingernail, and was on the end of Mckenzie's bed.
"If I ever get my hands on the guy who had the nerve..." Kai started broiling.
"That won't help right now. I'm not pleased at the thought of a camera in a girl's room, but cool it." Lloyd directed.
"Sorry. It just the thought of that guy..." Kai trailed off again. That wasn't right. You just don't put a camera in a teenage girl's room, especially if you're a guy. And if she had a hotheaded boyfriend who was also a ninja. Kai glanced at Mckenzie. She was still sobbing, her face tear stained. Cole just rested his cheek on the top of her head and held her. But then Kai noticed a small, glassy tear run down Cole's face. Since when does Cole cry? Never.
"Ummm... Cole, do you want us to leave?" The master of fire asked the master of earth, cutting a sideways glance at his sister and Lloyd.
"Sure." Cole whispered. The three took that as a cue to leave silently, and Lloyd had the presence of mind to shut the door, leaving the siblings to cry alone. Mckenzie was curled up on Cole's lap, who had his strong arms around the one he loved most.
"I should've listened, Kenz." Cole whispered to his light bending sister.
"I should've done something." Mckenzie said back, barely audible. Another tear dropped off of Cole's face and dropped into Mckenzie's hair.
"What are we gonna do?" Cole, the rock, the leader, was absolutely helpless. One day he was dreaming of the untouchable girl, the next, he was trying to find her killer and sister's stalker. But when was life fair?
