Boredom is Blue

Chapter Twelve

Jay's P.O.V

I hate the meeting room. This is the place where I last saw Nya. Where I let her storm away. Where I didn't follow.

She hated this room as well. I know she did, she complained about it an awful lot. She was always complaining that it was dank, musty and way too cluttered. Sort of like my workroom. I'm actually surprised she ever forgave me for the Screw-Really-Stupidly-Left-On-The-Floor incident. But, she didn't mind my workroom so much, as it's my space, just for me. The meeting room, however, she has to spend time in, as it's a combined space for all of us.

Though, she often said, just because it's called the meeting room, doesn't mean that we have to have our meetings there. Unfortunately for her, she was outnumbered, and we males just didn't care enough to ever bother with tidying it up. I regret that now. Maybe if we had paid attention back then, I wouldn't resent being in here so much.

Ken, with her face turned in a slightly disgusted scowl as she peers around the room, Zane hovering over her shoulder like a love-sick puppy.

"So… this is the meeting room," Ken says in sudden understanding.

"You've heard of it?" Kai asks in confusion.

"Yeah. Nya… informed me about it," she replies, using a pencil to flick an apple core on the table away from her, a small shudder shaking her shoulders. "I fear she may have underestimated the state of the room."

"She didn't," Cole quips. "It just became worse without Nya to yell at us about keeping it clean. Usually, Wu would be on our cases about it if Nya doesn't, but he's spending a lot of time meditating these days."

"I see." Ken most certainly doesn't look impressed.

Lloyd enters the room, being the last of us. Rushing to a seat, he flicks curious glances at Ken. We often forget, seeing as he looks only a little younger than us, that his mentality currently is of a fourteen year old. He had to grow up quickly, but he still has those early teen thought patterns. So now, no doubt, he's trying to figure out how Ken is going to fit into his life. He has his mother now, and he sees Nya as a sister. I think he'll either slot her in with Nya, or develop a crush. Personally, I'm hoping crush, because I think it'll be hilarious to watch Zane deal with his own crush on her as well as competing with Lloyd's adolescent advances. Oh, man. I can't wait!

Cole is standing, tall and proud, reminding me of a military commander. His spine is straight and shoulders back, face emotionless. Kai, resembling the complete opposite, is lounging on his chair, his feet up on the table and his hands behind his head. Currently, his pushing back on the table, leaning the chair on its back legs. As his brother (and his sister's boyfriend), I feel like it's my obligation to kick the chair out from under him. However, no is not the time, and he knows it. I can just tell his little smirk is aimed at me, and his belief that he's currently untouchable.

Ken is delicately perched on the very edge of her seat, her nose wrinkled in ladylike disgruntlement. Zane is sitting next to her, looking strangely relaxed and lazy, for the nindroid. He's leaning back (he never, ever slumps) but with his butt scooted forward, so the only part of his back that's actually touching the chair is his shoulder blades. Different, for him. Zane's steely grey eyes continue to flick towards Ken, a habit that she was reciprocating earlier, before entering the meeting room. It seems she's too grossed out to return the admiring glances.

Oh, but they're both so kawaii!

Umm. Ignore that.

Cole clears his throat, bringing our attention to him. In a Blink-and-Miss moment, Cole looks worried. And that worried expression is directed to me. Jeez, what did I do now? I thought I had convinced them all I was improving. Not that I'm not improving. It's just I didn't think they would believe I was improving so quickly. I feel more like myself at the moment, hence the ridiculousness lurking in my thoughts like a stick in the dark.

"Okay, guys," Cole starts, his deep, rough voice tinged in nervousness. What's that? My fearless leader's nervous? How very strange. "Ken is about to tell us where the Amazon base is, and therefore where Nya is. But I want to make something perfectly clear. We will not be running off willy-nilly, we have to make a plan. No going off and doing your own thing; I'm talking to you, Jay Walker and you, Kai Shen. We will rescue Nya as a team. This is important, people, because we're heading into unknown territory, with an unknown number of enemies. All we know is that we're outnumbered. I can't afford to lose any more of my family, so you're all going to just have to do what I say."

Ha, so that's why he was nervous! It's been a while since he's had to be all Sergeant-Major Cole on our arses. When we first became a team, he had to order us around like that, to keep us all in line. But, as we grew closer, he was able to relax and become less strict. It's interesting to see him revert back to his old self. This whole situation, though, is very nostalgic. Except this time, I think Cole's more worried about me, that I'll strike out on my own (lightning pun, ooh yeah) instead of Kai. Slowly, the effects of my realisation wear down on my mood, making me once again long for Nya. Not that the feeling ever really fades.

"So, we're rescuing a girl?" I ask quietly, staring at the stained wood of our round table. "Is she hot?"

"Jay!" Cole reprimands sharply without thinking, before falling quiet after realising exactly what I said. Kai turns to me, his eyes wide as the sense of Deja vu hits him hard.

"Does she like blue?" I continue.

"Back off," Kai replies, smiling very slightly. Then he leans over, gripping my arm. "We're going to get her back, Jay."

"I know," I say with a miniscule smile of my own.

Ken looks at us, confusion scrunching up her brow, but realises she probably shouldn't interrupt. Zane's face is clouded with sad understanding. Though he didn't say anything in this particular piece of dialogue, he knows exactly what it means. Lloyd doesn't understand at all, and opens his mouth to cut into the moment, but Cole quickly shakes his head no at him. Lloyd shrugs, but shuts it.

All is quiet for a slice of a second, but Cole puts an end to the reminiscing; we still have to discuss a plan, after all.

"I have a terrible sense of direction, trust me on that, so I can't guide you there. I'll just get us lost," Ken explains, sounding a little subdued. "But if you gave me a map, I can show you exactly where it is."

After rooting through the piles of paper scattered over the table, Cole produces a map. Kai quickly scares up a pen, throwing it across to Ken, who catches it one handed without so much as a glance, her focus already on the map stretched out in front of her.

"Here," she says, pointing assuredly at a spot on the map. From my position, it seems to be in the desert, seeming not too far from the Caves of Despair. God, that's where they're keeping her? My body itching to leave right now, I try to remember Cole's words about plans, working as a team, blah and blah. Kai's face shows the same struggle, while the others watch on in sympathy. Plans just really aren't my thing.

Marking down the location, Ken continues. "I know the way around the place just fine, just don't trust me to be able to actually find the base once we're in the desert. Someone else will have to read the map."

"Zane can do that, he's a pretty good navigator," Cole assures her. I don't say what we're all thinking; Nya was our navigator. At least, I think that's what everyone's thinking. Possibly not Ken, she hasn't been in our team long enough. But the others, are surely thinking that. Ermm, maybe it's just me.

"Good. Guard changes with the hour, but the shift changes are pretty sloppy, as we've never actually encountered any unauthorised people inside the base. That would be the best time to sneak in."

"Ninjas do not sneak," Zane says, an insulted tone to his voice. "We are silent, yes, but we do that by being quick and skilled, using the shadows to disguise us."

"Yeah, I call that sneaking. But hey, to-may-toes to-mah-toes, am I right?"

"I have yet to encounter anyone that pronounces tomatoes 'to-may-toes.'"

"You clearly don't talk to many people about the pronunciations of fruit, then."

"Who does?"

"Who the fuck cares?!" Kai screeches like an angry fire dragon. Specifically Flame, if you didn't get the reference. "We have much more important things to talk about!"

As amusing as the bickering was, I feel Kai is right. The shock on Zane's and Ken's faces as they realise they've been caught squabbling over the stupidest thing like an old married couple was priceless, though.

"Thanks, Kai," Cole says, thinking for a moment then nodding decisively. "We'll continue this tomorrow, after we've all had some sleep. Zane, you can show Ken to her room." Sending Zane a wink that Ken missed, Cole struts out of the room like no one's business. Quickly standing, I walk out the door, eager to be out of the meeting room. Kai and Lloyd soon follow, going down the hall where all the guy bedrooms are. Mine and Nya's is down a different hall. Zane leads Ken down yet another hallway, this one with four spare bedrooms adjacent to the guy's corridor. Nya used to sleep down there, before we started to share a room.

But instead of going to bed, I make sure the others are out of sight before heading to my workroom. I know they would disapprove of me going in there; I haven't been back since the fateful day that the engine I was working on blew up on me.

Nya's surprise was still in there. I've been working on it for the past few months, but tinkering with something like this was always her specialty, not mine. I'm sure once I give it to her, she'll redo and improve a thousand things. I just want the basics going.

Pulling back the sheet blocking it from sight, I take a wrench and get to work.

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KatyLynne Here: Hey, people! How are you? Good, I hope. Before I get the ball running, I just want to say a big thanks to my beta reader, Wafflegirl0304. Believe it or not, I'm a bit of an impatient person, but she's been able to handle it like a pro.

I don't have any complaints today, all happy and that. So, moving on to reviews

To Wafflegirl0304: Even though you're my beta now, I'd feel bad if I didn't reply to your review. I really hope you're right about Jay, Nya and Cole. The whole thing upsets me, as I've never been quiet about Jay being my favourite.

To Cloud (guest): I know! Misako bugged me so much. Thank you for your review, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Birthdaypi: Proud to make you laugh! I just noticed that Zane only really laughs if it's at something he said or at someone's expense. Still love him, though.

To A Girl: Don't worry! Ken will be with Zane!

Alright, now, I actually do have one complaint and NinjaMeap, I'm talking to you! Please, let me know your ideas as soon as possible, I'd really like to get the poll up. I'm sorry if I'm being demanding.

I think that's it from me. See you guys later!

Kay