Pixal opened her eyes.
It appeared that her sleep mode had kicked in automatically, as she was laying down in her bed, despite last recalling being sat up against the headboard. She looked over at the pile of cushions and remembered what happened before she went offline. Zane was teaching her to dance and talking about taking her with him when he left to re-join his team. She glanced down at her hands… and noticed Zane's hand over hers.
Slowly, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, and there he was; fast asleep and lying directly behind her with his arm draped over her waist. She froze – torn between purposely pushing herself closer to him and trying to gently move away before he woke up. Ultimately, she chose the latter, as her internal screen showed that they had to leave soon anyway. With great stealth, she slid off the edge of the bed without disturbing him. As she knelt on the floor by the bed, she reached over and gently stroked his face.
"Zane…" She said quietly. "Zane… it's time to get up."
He stirred slightly, stretched out his arms and then rubbed his eyes. As they blinked open and saw Pixal's face beaming sweetly at him, he smiled.
"Is it morning already?" He asked.
"Yes, we have to be ready to leave in 10 minutes." She confirmed.
"But I was having such a wonderful dream." He mentioned as he sat up.
"What is it like to dream?" She wondered.
"It is a double-edged sword; the dreams can be good or bad, and you never know which of the two it will be until you are asleep."
"But the good dreams are worth the risk?"
"They can be," He nodded, making not-so-subtle glances at her. "that one certainly was."
Pixal stood up and walked over to the desk. She retrieved the parcel from yesterday, turned on her heel and walked back to Zane. He sat up and had another stretch, when she handed him the parcel.
"These should fit over your ninja uniform," She announced. "I will wait for you downstairs."
She walked toward the elevator doors, only to feel a tug on her hand. She turned to see Zane holding her hand and grinning shyly.
"I know I have said this before, but thank you," He stated. "you really came through for me, I cannot thank you enough for all you have done."
"I would do anything for you." She replied, squeezing his hand.
Zane half-smiled at her, his eyes glazed over with adoration. Pixal was fast becoming enamoured of the infatuated looks he gave her, they served as great encouragement that her feelings for him were mutual. She used their current hand contact to gently tug him forward and plant a spontaneous kiss on his cheek.
"I will wait for you downstairs." She repeated as she let go of his hand and walked over to the elevator.
She stepped in and waved at him as the doors closed.
Zane, on the other hand, was still floating in his own little world. He soon shook himself out of it, understanding that they were on something of a schedule. As he opened the parcel and pulled out the suit that was tailored just for him, he wondered how his friends would react to his unexpected return. There was every chance that they would just be relieved as Pixal that he was still among the living. He expected Jay to be beside himself with happiness, being the most emotional ninja, and Cole to be outwardly untroubled but inwardly very comforted to see him. Kai would be his usual confident self; "I knew you weren't really gone!" he'd say, while Lloyd could go either way – a toss-up between calm and collected but very happy, or outright delighted that he was back. Nya would probably be the most surprised, seeing as she had visited Borg Industries the same day that his body was finished, though he imagined Pixal had put on a believable performance of nonchalance.
He wondered why he was being taken to the docks though. Would the Bounty be there waiting for him? No, he suspected that it would be too obvious to have his team meet him there. Perhaps he would be journeying to a different meeting point; the boat at the dock was likely a go-between that would take him to a more neutral location. As he turned to exit the room, something shiny caught his eye. He rummaged through the parcel packaging and found a pair of sunglasses. Picking them up, he looked over them and eventually put them on. It didn't do much to hide his metal face, but it was something.
Hedges leaned against the shiny black limousine and sighed. Was he really going to do this? Betray Miss Borg, and by proxy his boss, Mr Borg? The man who had hired both him and his best friend to the same post?
I'll get canned anyway if they find out I broke confidentiality... he thought to himself. In for a dime, in for a dollar, as they say.
Granted, it was at Hedges' father's behest that he and Benson were hired, but it went without saying that one should hold a certain amount of loyalty to one's employer. Ultimately, the only person he held any genuine allegiance to hadn't come into work this morning. On taking Hedges' advice, Benson had used one of his flexi-days to go to the hospital with his boyfriend Jack.
"Mr Hedges, thank you for your patience." Mr Borg said as he and Pixal approached.
"It's no trouble sir." Hedges insisted.
"We were waiting for my dear assistant's personal bodyguard to arrive." He replied.
Out of the shadows stepped Zane, fully dressed in his new suit and sunglasses.
"This is, uh, Zander," Mr Borg explained, gesturing to Zane. "he was hired yesterday to escort Pixal on her sabbatical."
"Pleasure to meet you." Zane said as he walked up to Hedges and held out his hand. Hedges knew who he really was, but to prevent arousing suspicion from his boss, he shook hands with the ill-disguised droid and smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Zander," He grinned. "my name is Hedges, I'm your driver this morning."
Hedges walked around the trunk of the luxury car to open the door for Pixal.
"Miss Borg…" He bowed politely.
"Thank you." She smiled as she got into the vehicle.
Hedges went to close the door but was stopped by Mr Borg. As Hedges went to the other side of the vehicle and opened the door for "Zander", Cyrus Borg, with a warm, paternal smile, addressed the droid he had built.
"My dearest Pixal," He began. "I truly wish you all the best on your new journey, hopefully you will check in with me, from time to time."
"Of course," She beamed. "thank you for everything you have done for me."
"No matter where you go or what you do, remember this," He said with a sincere tone. "you are my daughter and I will always be here for you."
Pixal could feel a swell of emotion and she resisted the sudden urge to cry that was rising in her chest. She got out of the vehicle and gave her father figure a warm, enveloping hug. He returned the hug, patting her back gently.
"Now, go," He pulled away and wiped a tear from his eyes. "and if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask."
"Thank you." She grinned
Mr Borg closed the door and watched as Hedges came over to him.
"You know exactly what to do?" Mr Borg asked.
"Escort Miss Borg and Zander to the docks, ensure they safely board their vessel and then return here." Hedges repeated the instructions given to him yesterday.
"Perfect." He smiled.
Hedges got into the driver's side and turned the key. As the engine revved to life and the limousine slowly started driving away, Mr Borg waved off the droid who had brought him so much joy, and the nindroid who had protected her so dutifully. He saw them both wave back to him out the back window. It was such an emotional moment, anyone would've thought they were heading into the sunset toward their happily ever after. Well, they were going off to re-join Zane's team together, so it was basically the same thing. Sort of.
When Mr Borg was no longer visible from the rear window, Zane and Pixal glanced at each other with a smile.
"I cannot believe this is really happening!" She squeaked.
"I imagine you have never been on a sabbatical before." He lifted his sunglasses and winked at her, aware that Hedges might be listening.
"Oh, no I haven't," She winked back. "I am deeply enthused to see what is beyond New Ninjago – adventure, excitement, danger… romance."
Pixal gently squeezed his hand.
"Well, if there is danger I can protect you," He said confidently, clasping her hand in return. "it is what I was hired for."
"So, Zander," Hedges spoke as he kept his eyes on the road. "how long have you been a bodyguard?"
"As long as I can remember." He answered.
"Ha ha, yeah, security training sure feels like that sometimes." Hedges laughed.
"Yes, it seems like I spend most of my time training." Zane said, nudging Pixal who began giggling.
Hedges glanced in his rear-view mirror as "Zander" and Pixal talked quietly in the back seat. He still wondered what Clouse, or indeed Master Chen, wanted with the recently resurrected nindroid. At the same time though, he wasn't going to ask questions; Clouse's offer to double his money would come in handy for any supplemental treatments Jack might need. If Benson ever found out what Hedges was doing, he'd find himself facing the rough edge of Benson's tongue, not a pleasant experience. But he would do anything for Benson – theirs was a bromance for the ages.
They stopped at a red light and Hedges took the opportunity to message his best friend. He sent a quick text to Benson from his phone, asking how he and Jack were doing. The light went green again, and Hedges continued toward the docks. His phone buzzed angrily, shaking about in the cup holder as it alerted him to a phone call. Eventually the buzzing stopped.
That'll be Clouse… He thought to himself.
Fortunately, the docks were not far from here, just a few more minutes and they'd be there – pity Clouse had his underwear in a knot; the phone started buzzing again. You'd think even that weird patsy of Chen's would understand traffic laws and know that if Hedges wasn't answering the phone there was a good reason for it. He rolled his eyes as the buzzing stopped and almost immediately started up again.
As the sleek black limousine pulled up to the docks, Hedges noticed all the labourers and sea-faring types giving him a funny look. Presumably, they didn't get many luxury vehicles in this area during the day, though he suspected plenty came here at night. He coasted toward the end of the dock and braked as soon as he saw Clouse, mugging at him with a very unimpressed expression. Hedges put the hand brake on and got out of the car. He ignored Clouse's evil eye and went to open the door for Miss Borg, while "Zander" got out on his own.
"Thank you," She said sweetly as she got out.
"If you would follow me, Miss Borg… Zander…" He insisted, leading them over to a very grumpy-looking Clouse.
"I have been eagerly waiting for you, Mr Hedges." Clouse narrowed his eyes.
"We were running slightly behind." Hedges mentioned.
"It was my fault," Pixal admitted. "I woke up later than expected."
Clouse smiled widely at the droid who approached him.
"Such a sweet young lady, surely you are not travelling alone?" Clouse asked expectantly.
"Of course not," Hedges interrupted, gesturing to the other suited person that was with them. "this is Zander, Miss Borg's personal bodyguard."
Hedges gave Clouse a subtle wink.
"It is a pleasure to meet you both, the ferry is almost ready to depart," Clouse bowed and gestured toward a large, double decked steamboat. "if you would be so kind as to board now."
"Thank you." Zane nodded, staying close to Pixal as they walked up the gangway and onto the ferry.
As the two droids stood on the main deck, looking over the rails at the vast ocean, Clouse approached Hedges with a brown leather briefcase and a sinister smirk. The two glanced at each other in silence and walked to the back of the limo. Hedges popped the trunk and Clouse placed the briefcase inside. Just as Hedges went to touch it, Clouse slapped his hand away.
"The nindroid is well disguised," Clouse mused. "one would almost think it is not him."
"Pfff, as if! His real name is Zane, and Mr Borg called him 'Zander'," Hedges snorted. "disguise or not, that name gives it away completely."
"Then how do you explain the discrepancies in his appearance?" Clouse asked pointedly. "The nindroid that saved New Ninjago had normal skin and white-ish hair, this one is very… metallic."
"You saw the pictures of him in Borg Industries; the evidence of his ice powers were all over the background!" Hedges impatiently mentioned. "This is how she rebuilt him, without the synthetic skin and with lighter hair; I was hardly given any input in his new design."
"Very well," Clouse opened the briefcase to reveal a large sum of money. "a deal is a deal."
Hedges, being the sceptical type, took the time to inspect each bundle of cash to make sure it was all there. It wasn't so much Clouse as it was Master Chen that he was cautious of – the man was a lunatic with delusions of grandeur who needed constant entertainment; Hedges had seen the madness that followed his cries of "I'm bored!" and decided that he did not trust Chen as far as he could be thrown.
"Tut, tut, such sore misgivings…." Clouse sighed, shaking his head.
"Call it what you like, that master of yours is a nutcase." Hedges remarked as he closed the case, removed it from the trunk and slammed the trunk lid shut.
"A little harsh, but you'll have no arguments from me," Clouse agreed. "regardless, Master Chen will be most pleased."
"Good, if you need anything else, don't call me," Hedges put the briefcase under the passenger's seat and got back into the driver's side, only for Clouse to stop him before he could close the door.
"Do not be so hasty, after all, you have the mark on you now," Clouse smugly boasted. "you will come when Master Chen calls or there will be… penalties to pay."
The gaunt man grinned wickedly at Hedges as he walked up the gangway and into the ferry. Hedges closed the car door and half-heartedly returned Pixal's enthusiastic waving from the main deck. He watched the ferry slowly leave the port and exasperatedly hit his head on the steering wheel. Hedges was suddenly struck with a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. As he began to cautiously reverse the vehicle off the dock and back onto the road, all thoughts of Miss Borg and Zane were replaced by those of his best friend Benson, currently at the hospital to support Jack through another round of chemo. Before heading off, he picked up his phone and dialled a number.
"Is this St Mary's Hospital? This is Harry Hedges, please let Dr Moss know I'm running late, but I'll be there as soon as possible."