Chapter 7
Cole moved as fast as he could, fighting the heavy fatigue dragging his body down.
Dragging it down quite literally. With each step, his feet sunk into the ground, making it impossible for him to stop moving. He'd never had a problem walking before, despite his obvious un-solidity. But after taking control of a body for so long, exhaustion was caused unwanted side effects.
Flashes of lightning brightened the cloudy island at random intervals, and the sound of thunder enveloped him. He hoped his friend was okay. He hated leaving him behind.
Nya ran past him, a determined look etched upon her features. Behind her, the rising tide followed, flooding the beach and blocking Cole's path. The ghost cursed, stumbling backwards before the water could reach his feet.
"So the boat's out. That's great." Cole muttered under his breath as he walked back up the path, to the prison. He would have to take the main bridge back to Ninjago. And then, well, then he would be lost.
He spotted Jay, a bright blob of lightning zooming through the island. Cole attempted to catch his friend's attention, but it was in vain. Even when Jay stopped moving, his mind seemed to be too wired to pick up on anything.
Nya reached him, then steered his overenergetic movements toward the beach. Once convinced that at the very least, Jay would be safe, Cole turned away. He followed the bridge back into the city, effortlessly gliding through every obstacle.
Slowly, Cole's energy returned. Then his feet stopped sinking.
Cole scanned the buildings and streets, eyes begging for a familiar sight. He recognized nothing. Jay and him didn't venture too far from their usual patterns, and Cole's memories of his own life were few and far between.
It was going to be a long day. And possibly a long night.
"Well. At least I don't need to sleep." Cole tried to force a laugh, but the sound was chocked and tired. With a deep, determined breath, he continued to walk forward.
The next time Nya woke, she was in a different room altogether.
There was no pain. No dullness. If she was honest with herself, her body felt healthier than it had in years. Which should have been impossible, considering she'd been shot no less than a couple of hours ago.
Or. . . That's what her mind told her. But for all she knew, she could have been unconscious for a long time. A desperate need to know the date rattled her, and she fumbled out of the bed. Her body tangled itself in the sheets. In the struggle, Nya fell back.
When she hit the floor, a door opened, and in came the android from before.
Nya straightened her clothes, finally realizing they were not her own. Loose white shirt, and loose white pants framed her body. The fabric was soft and comfortable, but she hated the unfamiliarity of it. Hated being in a disadvantaged position, with absolutely no proper knowledge of her situation.
"It's you again." Nya said, as the android stopped before her. In her hands, the android carried a tray filled with warm, sweet-smelling treats. Nya's stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. "Are you authorized to answer my questions yet?"
"I will assist you as much as I can." The android set the tray down, then stood still, awaiting instruction.
"Good." Nya nodded, but remained silent for a few moments. There were too many answers she needed, and the words flew in and out of her grasp. She was surprised by the first question that did make it past her lips. "What's your name?"
The android was equally startled, eyes widening ever so slightly before returning to their neutral position. "If you are in need of me, you may address me as Pixal."
"I'm Nya. But you probably already knew that."
"Nya Smith. Sister to Kai Smith. Owner of a small repair shop at the edge of Ninjago City."
"That about sums it up." Nya nodded. "Okay. . . How long have I been here?"
"You were brought in yesterday afternoon at about 1600 hundred hours. It has now been approximately 15 hours since then."
"Fifteen?" Nya shook hear head. That was impossible. She fumbled with her shirt, lifting it to peek at the wound the bullet was sure to have left. There was nothing. No bandages. No scars. Nothing. "How. . . I was shot. I know I didn't imagine that. What the heck is going on!?"
"ECHO has experimented with and developed several advanced medical procedures. The damage from a bullet wound is easily repaired."
"Seriously?" Nya was impressed. Beyond impressed. She couldn't begin to imagine the possibilities of a world where a gunshot wound was as severe as a papercut. Curiosity threatened to engulf her, but a different thought set in. She shook her head. "ECHO hasn't said anything about this. This is huge. It could help a lot of people."
"That is correct."
"So why are you hoarding it all to yourselves?"
"I am only an assistant. I have no knowledge of this subject."
Nya pouted. Her stomach grumbled again, a bit more forcefully. She supposed there was no point in not eating. Going on a hunger strike wasn't going to get her any closer to finding a way out. She reached for one of the warm pastries. It crumbled and melted in her mouth, sending a shiver of pleasure through her.
"What other secret projects does ECHO have going on?" Nya asked. A thought sparked up in her mind, and she looked straight into Pixal's eyes, hoping to catch some sort of expression. "Any sort of. . . human experiments? Something that would allow a person to do the impossible?"
Pixal's eyes remained as vacant as ever. "I am not authorized to answer that."
Nya scowled. She was going to get tired of that phrase fast.
Jay couldn't sleep.
His mind drifted in and out of consciousness, jolting him awake every time he managed to go under. Warning bells were going off in his mind, letting him know something was wrong. Something was out of place. Something was missing.
Something he shouldn't have been able to forget.
He shifted his body, frowning in concentration.
Not something. Someone.
"Cole!" Jay jumped into a sitting position, hair standing to an end, reacting to the static he'd created around himself. Cole. How could he have forgotten Cole? Even if it had been only for a moment. It was wrong.
Jay stood, slowly, careful not to stir anyone awake. Sparks hopped around his arms. He willed them away before stepping outside.
It was a risk, even if it was only early morning. But he needed fresh air. Needed to breathe. Needed to not forget.
He sat in front of the door, head resting against his folded knees.
Seconds, minutes, or hours passed. Jay wasn't in tune with the passage of time. He was more concerned with reviewing as many memories as he could, mumbling random facts to himself now and again.
"Cole likes cake. Or at least he thinks he does."
"Cole enjoys music. But. . . Not singing."
"Cole's. . ." Jay bit his lip, trying to think of something else. When he couldn't, he settled for the obvious. "Cole's a ghost."
"Is this some sort of best friend trivia practice?" A soothingly familiar voice teased. "Because if so, you're not very good. Those are some basic facts. You need to get deep. Like what's my favorite shade of grass?"
"Cole!" Jay's head shot up, shouting far louder than he'd intended. He studied his friend intently, willing himself to commit every feature to memory. "Cole. Where'd you go? What happened?"
"Whoa, whoa, are you crying?" Cole chuckled, plopping down beside his friend.
"Of course I am! I thought you were gone!" Jay wiped the light tears away from his eyes. "I thought I'd forget you!"
"Yeah, maybe don't shout to yourself so much." Cole's eyes scanned their surroundings, but the street was empty. "After all you are a wanted criminal now."
"So you saw the news?"
"No. I went to your parent's house though, while I was trying to find you. Place is packed with cops. So I figured you're right up there with Garmadon."
"Crap. Crap. My parents are probably worried sick. I wish I could. . . Tell them I'm okay." Jay's fingers tapped against his leg furiously, stomach twisting at the thought of his parents. Who'd trusted him not to get in trouble, then woken up to see their son participate in a jailbreak. "Seriously though. What happened to you?"
"Nya happened." Cole explained. "She made the ocean go bananas. I couldn't get to the boat. So I had to go the long way, but I was lost for a while. Once I found the junkyard, I went to Kai and Nya's shop from there. It was crawling with cops too. Then I remembered this place. Took a couple of wrong turns on the way here, but I made it in the end."
"And with good timing. We're leaving as soon as everyone's awake," Jay said. "But Cole. Garmadon. He knows something about us! He said we grew up together."
"Huh." Cole blinked, eyes drifting away from his friend. He spotted a couple of figures moving behind windows, and a couple of others begin to emerge from the buildings around them. He nudged Jay's shoulder. "You should probably get inside."
Jay nodded, keeping his head low as he re-entered Dareth's Dojo.
"We need to get to ECHO. That's what we need to do." Kai's eyes glowered, daring the others to shut him down. He crossed his arms. "Getting Nya back is a priority."
"Getting inside ECHO is important." Garmadon agreed, then continued, not at all intimated by Kai's attitude. "But doing so right now is impossible. We barely escaped the prison. Attempting to get into ECHO would solve nothing. You all need time to understand your powers better. To come up with a proper plan."
"I agree with Garmadon." Zane nodded. The older man's suggestion was sound and logical. And yet, instead of agreeing, Kai only seemed to become enraged. "I understand that your sister is important. But we are simply uncapable of getting her."
"No, we're not." Kai hissed. "It's risky, yeah, but we have to try. The longer we wait. . . Who knows what they'll do to her?"
"My brother won't harm her." Garmadon reassured.
"And why should I trust your word about that?"
"He is my brother. I know him."
Kai only scowled. He turned to Jay. "Jay. We need to get Nya out. You know that. She went back for you. You owe her this."
"We'll get her out." Jay muttered. "But Garmadon is right. We can't do it now. We. . . We need time."
"Good to see not all of you are empty headed." Garmadon said. "I know of a place, where we could hide. A secret lab underneath Birchwood forest. Wu would have no knowledge of it. We plan there, and I can tell you all I know."
"Haa, that forest just keeps coming up, doesn't it." Jay chuckled weakly.
"Secret lab?" Zane questioned, thinking back to the words Lloyd had said to him before. About him being an Android.
"Okay. You head off and camp in your happy little forest." Kai hissed, uncrossing his arms. He turned, stomping to the front door. "I'm getting my sister back."
Garmadon rolled his eyes, but did nothing to stop him. Jay and Lloyd followed the teen through the hall. "Wait, Kai. You can't be serious."
"ECHO is crazy guarded!" Lloyd agreed. "You'll never get anywhere!"
"We'll see."
With rough movements, Kai stepped into the city.
"Kai Smith. Jay Walker. Garmadon, and his little son."
"Yes." Wu nodded. "Think you're up to the task, Ronin?"
"I don't know. Depends on the reward." Ronin smirked. "I'm sure you've got plenty to offer, Wu."
"You bring them to me, I'll give you whatever you ask for."
"I'm an expensive man, Wu." Ronin chuckled. "And those fugitives seem like quite the handful."
"I'm quite aware." Wu nodded. "And I've prepared something to make the job a little easier."
Wu leaned forward, pressing a small button on his desk. "Pixal, please bring in the materials for Ronin."
Right away sir. A voice replied. Seconds later, Pixal walked into the spacious office, a box in hand. She set it down upon Wu's desk. With a light bow, she retreated back out of the room.
Ronin stepped forward. He eyed the box with greed, wondering at the worth of whatever was inside. Wu gave him an annoyingly knowing smile. He then opened the box and turned it towards the bounty hunter.
"Uh." Ronin was disappointed. "Bracelets?"
"Indeed." Wu chuckled. "But not normal bracelets. This is ECHO after all. We don't exactly do normal, do we?"
"I supposed you don't." Ronin reached inside, fingers clasping around one of the three bracelets. Made from a dark metal, It didn't seem particularly impressive. He tossed it back into the box. "So what do they do?"
"Stabilize." Wu stated. Ronin looked at him blankly, waiting for the old man to elaborate. "I won't bore you with the details. But as you said, the fugitives aren't exactly average. The materials in these bracelets, however, will stabilize the energy within them, to normal levels. Nullifying their abilities."
Ronin give a low whistle. "Sweet. That still leaves the problem of getting them to wear it. I doubt they'll let me slip it on their wrists."
"Well, Ronin." Wu grabbed a bracelet, flicking a hidden switch to snap it open. "How good is your aim?"
Wu threw the bracelet expertly, hitting Ronin's wrist. It clasped shut as soon as it came in contact with the man's skin. Ronin smiled slyly.
"I must say, my aim is excellent."
Birchwood forest. Zane walked slowly, feeling odd as he returned to the beginning of his story.
Each step became more familiar than the last. Zane was sure the path Garmadon was taking would lead to the exact spot where his memories begun. He wondered what kind of answers he would find.
Zane quickened his step when he noticed he was being left behind. He walked to Jay, who seemed more uncomfortable than usual. Zane matched his steps. "Are you alright?"
"Hmm?" Jay blinked. It took him a moment to focus on Zane. "Oh. Yes. No. I don't know. Why?"
"You seem out of sorts." Zane pointed out. "Does this forest mean something to you?"
"Kind of." Zane saw a flash of guilt in Jay's eyes as they connected with his own. He waited for the blue-eyed teen to elaborate, but he did not.
"It means something to me as well. As I said, this is the first thing I remember."
"Yeah. . ." Jay cleared his throat. "You mentioned that."
"I hope Garmadon is being truthful, and that we find answers here."
"Me too. And I hope Kai doesn't get himself caught."
"He will."
Jay laughed at the brutal honesty, shaking his head. "Wow. Okay. You could try to be hopeful and say he'll get Nya out and safely meet us back here. Where we'll all learn about our powers and live happily ever after."
Zane frowned. "That is very unlikely."
"I know but. . ." Jay shrugged. "Positive thinking. It helps. Sometimes."
"Even if it is only a lie?"
Jay laughed again. "Yeah."
For a moment, the only sound was the crunching snow beneath their feet. The Jay spoke up again. "So why did you decide to stick with us anyway? I wanted to ask earlier but I've been a little busy freaking out about everything."
"Well, our obvious connection helped cement my decision. But at first, it simply felt right." Zane thought back to the small repair shop, where he'd first decided to stick with the others. The feeling of belonging had been with him since the beginning, even before the others had revealed their powers.
"Nice." Jay shivered, tightening his light jacket around himself. "I wish my decisions felt right."
They stopped walking. Garmadon stood still before a tree that was three times the size as any of the others surrounding it. He ran his roughened hand over the trunk, carefully searching for something upon its surface. Zane watched the man's eyes light up as his palm came to a stop.
The loud sound of groaning metal moved through the silent woods. The trunk of the tree swung open, revealing a thick darkness inside.
Garmadon turned back to the others, taking his son's hand. "Well. Let's go."
