Authors Notes: Theirs a lot of torture in this chapter. *Covers up head*


Master of String

Chapter 39

silver

Echo peaked out of the door acting the part of concerned, yet clueless friend. He looked at the others and gave a fake shaky smile.

"It looks like they'll be alright, but they're still out cold. Kate will stay with her brother for the time being. I'll stay with her as usual and to monitor their progress. You all should go get some sleep. Specially you Nya you've been up for nearly 48 hours worrying about your brother." Echo said. Nya nodded her head and started walking toward the bunk room. Lloyd stepped forward looking at Echo. He didn't flinch actually he stepped forward.

"Is something wrong?" Echo asked. Lloyd shook his head and looked inside the room seeing Kate half asleep in her chair. She spotted him and lazily waved at him with a very tired smile. He almost looked like he held something back.

"No just wanted to see Cole for myself."

"Ah just concerned?" Echo asked. Lloyd smiled and nodded.

"I'll bring her something to eat. She hasn't ate much at all today." Lloyd said and turned around then paused. Then he turned around with a sly smile.

"Hey...wheres Zane?" He asked. Echo felt his heart flip flop in his chest. He wanted to rip that boy in two. If it weren't for the fact that Lloyd hadn't been the one to actually say it.

"He's gone to the karaoke bar that Darreth owns to tell him about his boyfriends condition. I expect he's consoling him about now." Echo said and walked back into the room. Lloyd took one more look before closing the door. Echo looked at Kate who stood up and pulled on Ronins jacket. It smelt like it had been put on a Barbecue. Actually in some areas she was sure it had been. Old holes from bullets and knives. Some pieces had been sewn together in an effort to save the grungy jacket. She pulled on some old ripped up jeans, and ran her fingers over her brothers pant leg and ran her fingers over her face. It was sooty now and she looked like she belonged in the slums.

"Where will you be?" Kate asked. Echo ran his fingers over her hair attempting to make her hair smooth back. Her hair was curly as hell and the red was bright. He shook his head looking her in the eyes.

"I should be the one going." Echo said he seemed to be drawn to her eyes. They were so bright and full of life. How could he not want to drown in them. He looked over his wife trying to make sure she could pass as some vagrant trying to dig in the garbage. The old baseball cap that belonged to Zane was placed onto her head.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you from the Bounty. So please...keep your distance from Misako. She knows spinjitzu and you do not. She could kill you, Kate please reconsider." Echo begged not wanting his wife to go. Kate smiled at him.

"Don't worry love. I'll be careful." Kate said climbing out the window and down the rope. Echo ran over to the window and looked outside at her. She looked back up at him and smiled.

Echo turned and looked at the other two slumbering occupants in the room. How he wished for once to not play the roll of nurse. He wanted so much to watch over Kate. But he had to watch her brother, and Cole. He promised.


Zane lay on the floor of the club. His eyes slightly fogged over from exhaustion. He had been used as a punching bag by this unknown person no less then six times. The most recent just ended he hoped. Something about his brother getting wise to them. So he took it out on him. He rolled onto his back and coughed. He looked over his frame. Mostly just dings from the beating, but his shoulder was sparking a lot, and his legs were broken. He couldn't even get up. Darreth lay on the floor not to far away from him. His nose was broken, his eyes were poofy and pink. Ronin was going to be pissed.

Pixal walked out of the back room. She kicked him on the way by.

"The master wants you." She said to Misako. Zane looked confused for a moment.

"You're...you're not alone?" Zane asked.

"Well of course not. I have an army. How do you think I got those people over in Metaldonia to do as I asked? I've been working at this for years." He had Pixal sit down at the bar and smiled. "You know I can tell you why." He said This surprised Zane.

"I was at school that day. A little five year old whose family was murdered by Garmadon." Pixal sat down much like a guy would. Legs spred out leaning forward staring at Zane with the same eyes as his wife.

"Are you sure it was them? I have it on pretty good authority that it was the snakes." Zane said spitting fluids from his mouth. He hated to spit, but he didn't need to swallow it. Pixals head turned around and glared at Zane.

"You think I don't know the possibilities? I looked into it. Years and years of research. I not only looked into it, I took any and all research I could find and destroyed it. I didn't want anyone to know how to destroy me." He said going into the back and smiled. "You must be hungry." He said and picked up a carton of oil and held it out to Zane. Zane sighed and shook his head.

"Give it to Pixal." He said this seemed to anger the man. He knocked Zane on his back and forced his sparking mouth open and poured the oil into his mouth. Zane spat and sputtered. His yells of disapproval of oil being forced down his throat was loud. Once the bottle was empty he pushed Zane into a chair. Zane kept coughing, he was feeling sick. His mind raced around in his skull.

"Perhaps next time when someone offers you something you'll take it." He said putting a carton on the counter again. Zane cringed and shied away from the carton. Pixals hand was shaking, she was fighting his control. Zanes stomach was only supposed to fit two cups of oil at a time. That was an entire carton. This wasn't good.

"I can not house anymore." He said holding his stomach and coughed again.

"I"d like to see about that." The twisted smile told Zane that he was about to find out if he really can. The man was annoyingly angry about something. Misakos body came out of the back room and looked at Pixal. He walked forward pushing the chair over and shoving the opening into Zanes mouth.

"Drink it!" He yelled and jumped when Misakos hand touched his shoulder.

"Its time sir." She said. He sighed standing up still having the carton upside down. He looked down at Zane who kept coughing.

"Your lucky…go ahead sweetheart." He said motioning toward the door. Misako did as she was told. He looked down at the panting nindroid. His white Gi was mostly a brown color.

"Its no fun when you can't fight back is it?" He chuckled throwing the carton down on Zane. It was like his insides were over filled, over oiled, he felt like his processors were floating.

"Echo will find you." Zane said

"You mean that Echo kid? The one who still thinks Bronze can save everyone?"

"Bronze…? Its different from person to person. For instance mine isn't bronze...its silver." He chuckled and ran his fingers through Pixals hair trying to get it out of his face. He too was now covered in oil.

"Your pathetic! Trying to harm people who have nothing to do with what Garmadon has done in the past. Leave these people out of it."

"Oh I'll leave them alright...when Misako and Lloyd are dead. Poor Kai though…" He laughed.

"What?"

"You'll just have to find out."

"Do not harm Kai!" Zane yelled out.

"Why would you care? Your just a machine?"


Lloyd stood over Kai. One of his own swords in hand.

"I'm afraid your in my way." Lloyds voice said. Kai opened his eyes and looked up at Lloyd. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. The wound was really really painful at that moment. Who was it responsible for making sure he took his medication again? Jay?" He looked around at Jay. Jay smiled at him. He tipped the bottle upside down and all the pills fell onto the ground. Kai looked up at Lloyd in a panic. His sister was nowhere to be seen.

"What...what are you doing?" Kai asked his voice broke as he tried to stay even.

"Finishing the job of course." Jay said running his fingers over Kais bruised belly.

"No…Someone help me!" He yelled unable to move as fast as he could he was now being held down by Lloyd. Jay leaned over with a syringe. The contents were a red color. He knew what that was. It was a fast acting poison that would almost kill him instantly. Jay moved his head to the side and smiled down at him. Kai closed his eyes and jumped when the door slammed open. Echo stood there and glared at Jay and Lloyd.

"You both are tampering with my patients care." He said grabbing Jays arm and threw him out the door. He glared at Lloyd. Lloyd put his hands up and walked out of the room. Echo sat down on the bed and moved the Gi down to look at the wound. It didn't seem to be missing any stitches.

"Kai?" Kais eyes were still squeezed shut. "Kai Smith can you hear me?" He said touching his hand. Kai jumped looking around the room. His eyes locked onto Echos.

"Echo?" He reached out wanting to touch something solid. He had never been that close to death before. Echo reached out taking his hand in his. He understood what he was feeling. When he was in Sanzas prison all he wanted was to hold his brother to let him know he was real.

"You are fine now. Just relax. I'll lock the door." He said doing as he said and walked back into the secondary room where Cole and Ronin was.


Zane jumped when he heard the loud yell coming from Pixal. He couldn't move nothing. But when he turned a little he saw something that not only scared him, but made him smile. Darreth stood over a now unconscious Pixal. A spoon pressed against her forehead.

"Darreth…?" Zane called. Darreth turned and ran over to Zane doing the same to him. The invisible bindings seemed to let loose. He sighed in pure relief.

"So silver huh?" Darreth asked and glared at the door.

'Echo...Echo can you hear me?" Zane called for his brother.

'Are you safe?' was the response.

'Yes...its not bronze thats the cure...its silver. It differs from person to person."

"Oh no…" Echo breathed out and ran over to the window.

'Whats wrong?'

'Kates gone after Misako...he was just supposed to go find out where she was heading...hopefully to find this...guy."

'Find her Echo...go please. Or you'll lose her. He's not a kind man.'