Authors Notes: FFN hasn't been behaving today. Hopefully this one goes through. One more chapter after this one I should think.

Master of String

Chapter 40

How?

Kate sat on the other side of a dumpers. Her head cast down trying to avoid eye contact with anyone that walked by. Her eyes weaved over the crowd as she had been taught to do on many occasions. She watched for hours it seemed unaware of the problems on the Bounty, unaware of the activities within the club. All she knew as that Misako walked by and this was her que. She stood up with some effort or technically it was faked effort. She looked at her reflection in the window as she walked by. It looked horrid. She had climbed in a few dumpsters to get that authentic homeless smell. She was sure their were things now attached to her butt, and the shoes she borrowed from Cole. She was sure he would wake up and wonder why he wasn't wearing any, but his shoes were the most worn in. He refused to get more shoes till they fell apart.

Kate followed Misako through the crowd. She noticed with some unfortunate knowledge that this was the same outfit that she was wearing when she saw her in the classroom about a week ago. She was wondering just how long Misako had been under there control. Kate stopped when Misako walked down another street, then an alleyway. Their were a lot of twists and turns, she was sure Misako was trying to insure that someone wasn't following her, or to lose her. Finally after a few moments Misako stopped and opened a large red door.

"Excellent…" The mans voice was deep. Kate narrowed her eyes and looked into the building through a crack. She knew that person...she knew him from her class. It was a kid named Michael. She couldn't remember a last name. She wasn't to sure if this kid was related to that old Master of String, but she knew the kid was under their control.

"Hum...would you look at that...a birdy. Came to find me and tell the others? Smart...but stupid." Kate turned around and gasped seeing a man with black hair and glasses. His outfit wasn't bad either.

"I don't know what your talking about. I wanted to see if I could get in."

"Oh stop it Mrs. Julien I know who you are." He grabbed her hat and smiled as the curly red hair fell down around her shoulders. "Why don't you step inside."

"If its alright with you, I'd rather not." Kate said her eyes wide. She gasped when he pointed his fingers at her. His eyes flashed red. Kate tried to fight it, but she began to walk into the warehouse without her permission.

"Stop…" Kate gasped wondering why her ring wasn't stopping him. It was made out of bronze. It was Echos bronze.

"I didn't want to do this Mrs. Julien but you left me no choice." He said opening the door for her. "That husband of yours has become quite a problem. Perhaps some incentive to get him to do as I say. Since I can't seem to get a lock onto him. Julien androids are so annoying." He said

"Kate!" Echo ran down the alleyway having used Ronins locator to find her.

"Oh smart...he knew how to find you?" The man asked.

"Who are you?" Echo asked holding his hand out to Kate. Kate gasped shaking her head at Echo.

"I can't move." She said. Echo gasped looking at the man.

"Please...I'll do anything. Please let her go."

"Oh trust me...their is one thing...you won't do." He said holding up the tablet that one of his slaves had gotten from the Bounty. It has the feed of Echos incubating daughter. Echos eyes grew wide and he looked at Kate.

The man turned to show Kate what he had just showed to Echo.

"No...please." Kate whispered looking at Echo.

"So I'll give you a choice...either your wife...or your baby."

"You are no better then Garmadon." Kate was shaking from anger, but she couldn't do anything about it. The man walked over and punched Kate in the face. Echo gasped stepping forward, but to afraid he would hurt them both.

"That man killed my whole family."

"Your doing the same." Echo said trying to plead with him.

"This is revenge robot! I never said it was going to be clean."

"But your wanting to kill an innocent child!" Echo said.

"Innocent? This child is a nindroid human hybrid. She has no place in our world."

Ronin moaned when he felt a warm hand on his cheek. He slowly turned his head to look seeing Darreth standing there. He gasped seeing the way Darreth looked. He reached out running his hands over his face. Darreth leaned his head into his hand and closed his eyes. He had wanted so much to feel the warmth of Ronins touch again. He had honestly wondered if he was alright. Upon hearing that he had almost died in a fire he himself nearly lost control.

"Darreth?" Ronin asked looking into his lovers eyes when he looked down at him. He wanted so much to sweap him off his feet. Take him to parts unknown and just keep him inside a bottle for all eternity. But their was work to be done.

Darreth, Pixal, and Zane who had been fixed the best they could arrived on the Bounty with as much silver as they could find. The ninja were back to normal. Even Lloyd who was so weak they had to put him on the bed with Kai and give him oxygen because his breathing was coming so fast. They were afraid he would hyperventilate.

"Do we know where Misako is?" Ronin turned to look at Cole who was drooling on his shoulder. "Hey...wake up. You're going to drown me." He grumbled. Darreth smiled helping Ronin up out of the bed. He knew perfectly well he wasn't able to keep him where he didn't want to.

"How do you feel?" His swave voice asked. Ronin just looked at him with a crooked smile.

"My lungs still feel like its gained some weight, but other then that I'll be just fine." He said and kissed Darreths cheek before making his way out of the room. He spotted Zane sitting down in the command center.

"Wheres my sister." He barked. He leaned against the door frame and looked at the map. He gasped and ran for the door.

"Ronin! You need silver!" Darreth said following him out onto the deck. He had something in his hand. Ronin looked around the bags of silver. "Ronin stop." The words were kind of said with a laugh. Ronin turned and looked at his boyfriend wondering just what was funny. Darreth draped something around his neck and smiled. It was a silver necklace. It wasn't something to girly. Actually it was a silver insignia that was a combination of Darreths and Ronins symbols. Normally when doing this it meant these two were engaged.

"Darreth?"

"It came in the mail...was going to give it to you the day we opened the club, but well…"

"Plans got derailed." Ronin said running his hands over Darreths cheek. "Thank you." Darreth blushed being a little shy still of the contact he was getting. Ronin thought it was adorable.

"Now go save that sister of yours." Darreth said.

Kate felt herself growing tired. The string was working its poisons into her blood stream. Echo had no choice but to watch such a thing. Kate inwardly thanked him for allowing her to do this over the destruction of their only offspring. Their unborn child...Harmony seemed so fitting a name. A union of two works. Nindroid and human.

"I hope...she makes lots of friends." Kate whispered to no one in general.

"She'll probably be bullied, and ridiculed for what she is." The man grumbled out.

Kates voice was slow and slurred.

"Kate?" Echo called. Kate slowly looked up at him. "I love you."

"Always love…" Kates head lullied to her chest. Her head then snapped back up and the eyes were glowing red. She was placed back on her feet.

"Alright Kate...you see that knife just behind you? Use it on Echo." Kate turned and picked up the knife. She walked over to Echo, Echo just stood there not moving at all. His eyes never left Kates, but if he moved...that man would have their baby killed. Kate raised the blade.

"On secont thought Kate...use the blade on yourself." It was fast order and the blade fell.

Their was a loud slicing noise.

"Kate!" Echo grabbed old of the knife in Kates hands with his own bare hands. She fought with him, trying to dislodge the blade from his fingers. Oil and sparks flew from his fingers. The pain was horrid.

"Kate!" Ronin yelled from behind the mystery man. A sword sticking out of his back straight through his chest. The man smiled at Echo.

"Its appropriate no?" He asked with a smile. "You poor things." He coughed, blood splattered his hands.

"Deedaro Kent. I should have known it was you…" Ronin growled. "I don't suppose you realize thats my sister!" Ronin grabbed the mans head and bent it back putting a knife to his throat. The sword still stuck out of his chest.

"Oh...pity." He said with a deranged laugh that sounded like he was drowning.

The knife was right over Kates chest. Its tip was already dipped into the flesh. A long line of red dripped down her chest.

"Kate no...no stop!" The knife was resting against the bone of her chest plate.

"Release her now!" Ronin yelled.

An arrow flew through the air hitting Kent on the chest. They all stopped to see the Bounty off in front of them. On the edge of the Bounty's railing was Zane. His bow in hand. Ronin smiled and waved letting Kent fall to the ground dead.

Kate dropped the knife allowing for Echo to pull the knife from her chest. Kate fell into his arms. Her head resting against his chest.

"Its not to deep." Ronin said pulling a cloth handkerchief from his pocket and suddenly stopped. "Hey...is that my jacket?" He chuckled.