Chapter 10

I was just double-checking the brackets when I saw Neuro leaving Klara's suite. He looked… angry. I'd only known him for about a week, but I didn't remember him ever being mad. Neuro walked down the stairs of the palace, and out the door. I knew I shouldn't, but I wondered what he was doing, so I followed him.

He was sitting on a rock about seven feet tall, and he was meditating. I shrugged, and turned to go back inside, but then I saw the ninja talking.

"What do you think Chen wants?" asked Lloyd.

"I'm not really sure, Lloyd, but whatever it is, know that Jay's gone, we need to find him and Zane and stop Chen. Jay's loss makes our situation much more serious," said Cole. I snorted. How did Jay make things more serious, if he never was serious?

"Yeah, but I don't think we can do this alone. We need help," Lloyd said.

Kai gasped. He must have figured something out. "I know just the person who can help," he told the others. "But I think he already knows."

The ninja walked over to the rock where Neuro was sitting. "We need your help, Neuro," Lloyd told him,

"You think I can get close to Chen, so I can read his mind, so you can find your robotic friend, Jay, and leave the island for good," he said, never looking at them, and never breaking concentration.

"Hey!" said Kai. "We also need to know-"

"What Chen's up to," finished Neuro.

"That's actually pretty impressive, Nerd-o," said Cole. I had a feeling Neuro was trying his hardest not to snap at them.

"It's Neuro, master of the mind, and why should I help you? You're competition. The sooner you're out, the better for me," he said, standing and jumping off of the rock. 'Too late,' I thought. 'He snapped.'

"Better for you?" Lloyd exclaimed. "Look into my mind and see what this tournament is really about."

"Why?" asked the master of the mind. "It would only be repetitive."

"You know Chen's hiding something?"

"Of course I do! Do you take me for a fool?" He really was mad now.

"Well…" said Cole. Neuro sighed and looked at Lloyd.

"I am already trying to find out what is going on. But I'm helping someone else. I'm certain our alliance is stronger, and you still are competition."

"You may have a bigger alliance, with you sister and Tyler, but it isn't about numbers," Lloyd told him. "We're brothers, which makes us stronger. This is about family!"

By now, I had walked over to where they were. "No Lloyd. Logically, we have a bigger alliance. It is not about family."

Neuro looked up. "You are right Lloyd," he said. "It is about family. KJ, I'm on your side, but you should all know that this is about family. But there's more to it than any of you would know."

We watched as the master of mind walked off, into the palace. He probably went into his suite to get some peace and quiet. I decided to do a little investigating. I wasn't sure where to go, but eventually I decided to go to Chen's quarters, wherever that was.

I couldn't find his quarters, but I did find the place where the kabuki where putting on their make-up. I really hated the 'paints' they seemed to be using (along with anything else along the lines of fashion) but at least I didn't have to disguise myself as a kabuki.

I didn't get any information that was helpful for the first hour or so. Chen was again, on his throne, while I just sat on one of the rafters of the ceiling, and waited for something interesting.

Suddenly, the door opened, and shut. I turned to see who had entered or left, and I saw Neuro. My eyes widened.

"I was told you wanted to see me," he told Clouse, who had been there for the last ten minutes.

"Yes. I saw you conversing with the ninja earlier. It would be a shame if Chen were to find out that you're helping them…"

"I see nothing wrong with helping them… for now," said Neuro. He was speaking boldly, but he was as white as a sheet.

"You are betraying your father helping them!" said Clouse. Neuro glared.

"My father is a fool," he said. "And I'm not helping them for long. I grew up learning to win at all costs. I'm going to pretend to stay their ally, but this is what I'm willing to do to win."

I smirked. There was no way Clouse would buy that. Neuro was usually a quick talker, but he slowed down right now. He also was switching his eye contact between Clouse and the door every few seconds. When people lie, they often look towards the nearest exit, mentally wishing to escape. However, he was hiding his biggest tell (what people do when they lie as a fibbing habit.) When Neuro lied, he would usually bit the inside of his cheek when he was not speaking, but I didn't think he was. Still, Clouse would've had to have been a fool to believe his statement. I may have been sitting directly above them, but I was watching from only three feet behind Clouse.

"Ah… yes. Of course you are. You may go, Neuro." I watched as the master of the mind turned to leave.

"But Neuro, if you are helping the ninja, you are the fool. You should know is you are trying to stop Chen, you are wasting your time," said the sorcerer.

"Of course, Clouse," said Neuro. "I'm the master of the mind. I'm smarter than that." The blue and green waves shot out of his head again for effect. Then he looked up and saw me. Before Clouse noticed what he was looking at, I was gone.

I met up with him an hour later. I didn't ask about the conversation he had with the sorcerer, but I did ask him if he found anything else out. The ninja where there too, and he told us all.

"I'm not sure where your friend is, but I do know he's trying to get all of the elements for a spell in Clouse's spell book. It's on page 149."

The ninja thanked him and left. When it was just the two of us, he told me. "KJ, I looked into Clouse's mind for a split second."

"And what did you find?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and said, "I think I know where your brother is."

(A/N) And there's another chapter. I am on a roll. I love all of the reviews. Could I maybe get a review telling me what genre this should go under, because right now it just is general. So thanks for the reviews, and the next chapter should come up soon.

Until next time,

-Frostbite