Short chapter but I had to put this little bit in! Love to all my readers guys!

"Well that was a complete disaster." Mario sighed collapsing on the couch.

Zaylee sat in silence staring at the coffee table with extreme intensity, her leg bouncing a steady rhythm. Blakk had duped her in the worst way. And she didn't even notice when he had disappeared from the fray. She didn't know how something so integral could have slipped her mind. What did that say about her as a fighter? As a leader? She felt as if that one mistake personified the disasters that had happened over the last month.

"There's no way we could have known." Dana put a hand on her shoulder, unsure of how to console her friend.

"But what can we do now? Blakk's leagues ahead!" She suddenly stood up. "I've done everything, and it wasn't enough! A terra drill? Sure the Shane Gang stopped it once, but a second time? You don't think Blakk's prepared for that too? I just don't know what to do anymore!" Zaylee's voice cracked as her friends all looked at her with stunned faces. She stood frozen for a moment before running out of the hide out.

"I'll go talk to her." Xia said calmly, rolling her chair away from the big computer.

"Let me." Eli stood up.

Xia shrugged and went back to work.

Eli walked outside, finding Zaylee leaning on the porch banister behind the hideout.

"Zay-"

"You left at the worst time possible." She stated without turning around. "I'm not cut out to be a leader. I've tried the best I can, but this is bigger than that. I might be strong, but I'm not a Shane." The tears were obvious in her voice.

"Zaylee, you're the strongest girl I've ever met-"

"I don't know how you do it. You best Blakk over and over again, but once you leave, it's like everything goes to hell."

"In my defense, you've been MIA at some pretty critical moments too."

"But you still managed to do it!" Zaylee exclaimed, finally turning to face him. "But now everything is so lost, there's just no way!"

"Zaylee, there's always a way." Eli stepped forward, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. Zaylee immediately froze at the contact.

"I'm sorry I left, but family is so important to me, you know that." Eli took a finger to lift Zaylee's chin so she was looking him in the eyes. Zaylee could hear her pulse in her ears. "I'm here now," he smiled, "and we're going to do this together."

Zaylee wiped away a stray tear and nodded. She turned back to lean on the railing again.

"How long have you been able to teleport?" Eli asked, moving to lean next to her.

"Since I came back from the western caverns."

"You didn't tell anyone?" Eli looked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"It wasn't the right time. I didn't know why I had these strange connections with the Shadow Clan, and abilities like transportation are a strong asset to have against an enemy if they don't know about them."

"Mfalme never knew why you had those abilities?"

"Oh he knew." Zaylee scoffed. "When I went up to talk to you I stopped in at my dad's. Apparently my great grandma or something fell in love with one of the Shadow Clan chiefs. My dad wasn't the first Foxx to travel to Slugterra."

"That's a pretty big detail to leave out of the family history."

"It's not accepted here. It wasn't the right time. Secrets are to protect the things and people that matter. And when someone needs to know something, they'll know."

"Is that so? To protect? And is there anything else you're keeping from me?

"Nope." Zaylee lied. "Let's head back inside, everyone else wants to talk to you I'm sure."

Eli hesitated as Zaylee faked a smile and returned to their friends. Burpy gave a loud squeak from his feet.

"I know, I know, once things calm down. But she's not ready yet." Burpy squeaked again. "I don't know when she'll be ready, but we've got too much on our plate right now with Blakk. Come on, let's go see everyone else." Eli picked Burpy up and placed him on his shoulder as he followed Zaylee inside.