Decryption


The Compound, infirmary on the top floor

8:05 PM


The door to the Compound's primary infirmary was locked and bolted to keep the Hidein out. Azamat colored a circle on the door, his tongue curled in concentration. He added eight smaller Periods, surrounding it like moons around a planet.

"Right, that'da do it, kiddo," Ed said, motioning for Azamat to come again to the center of the room. "You, too, Lou."

Azamat drew a line down from the center of the Period, down the door, then across the stone floor, towards the symbol Mrs. Walker outlined in the center of the infirmary. He kept the Connection River as straight as he possibly could, crawling on his hands and knees towards Edna's Protect symbol.

Amilia sat on one of the beds, her hands in a toolbox, her pale, green-blue Shauto Shield buzzing around her. Zane lay, barely conscious, next to her.

The poor guy. Someone had ripped his main systems out, losing parts and wires. Amilia searched her toolbox desperately for replacement parts while he lay on his back, biting his tongue so as not to groan in pain.

Lou Brookstone came from where he had been drawing on the wall directly opposite where Azamat had put his own Punctuation. He had shown up, sent there by Cole, and obediently did whatever the Walkers directed as they worked to break the Encryption on the Compound.

Everyone was counting on them. Decrypt the building, and they'd have a huge advantage over the Hidein in their own base. Azamat narrowed his eyes and shook the fat Shauto marker in his hand, coaxing out more of its viscous white ink.

"That's good, that's good," Ed said as Lou connected the other Period.

Azamat stood up, surveying the Protect symbol. Now, Shauto connected to all four walls of the infirmary to the thick cobweb of ink in the center.

"Edna, you about ready?" her husband asked patiently.

Edna grunted in reply, still Punctuating the Protect symbol. It spanned about four feet in radius. She was working off of a blueprint of the Compound that they had found in a cabinet against one wall of the room—a starting and ending Period were required for each floor that they needed to Decrypt. These each connected to one another with little hills of white.

Azamat helped Lou to his feet. Lou mumbled thanks and handed his Shauto marker to Ed, who tucked it into the belt of his fur-lined cloak.

"Azamat." Amilia called for him, nodding at a roll of tape on the other end of the bed. Her hands were deep in Zane's chest panel. "Will you get that for me?"

He grabbed the electrical tape, reaching to hand it to her. Amilia nodded impatiently at her fingers, braided in the wires as she corrected their alignment.

"Where do you need it?" Azamat asked.

"See these wires here?" Amelia jerked her wrist downwards at the offending electric tear. "They got damaged. Just tape them up."

"It won't shock me, right?"

"No. His digestive system is shut down."

"Right." Azamat ripped a four-inch strand of tape from the roll, carefully picking out the wires that Amilia had indicated apart from the rest. He fixed one. Then took another piece of tape and fixed the other.

Zane twitched, restraining the obvious desire to inhale sharply.

"Why isn't he switched off for this?" Azamat asked softly. "Seems... unhealthy."

"He doesn't have enough power," Amilia said. "All of his energy has been focused on keeping himself alive, because he's been missing so many important functions. If we switched him off, he wouldn't be able to reactivate. It's like losing blood."

Azamat swallowed. "Sorry, buddy," he said, patting Zane's arm gently. The Nindroid was chill to the touch; his body was focusing as much energy as possible on internal functions, leaving his skin ice-cold while his insides were warm. "Just hang on. Amilia's gotcha covered."

Zane's heavy eyes slid to Amilia's face.

Amilia smiled. The effect was anxious and half-hearted. "S'gonna be alright," she said. "Try to rest, okay?"

Zane closed his eyes, breathing deeply through his nose.

"Alrightie," Ed said. He knelt down beside his wife on the floor. The Protect symbol, which would Decrypt the Compound, was complete. It chased itself in white circles. "You ready for this?" Ed asked.

Edna nodded, grinning.

Ed lifted his head. "Azamat, Amilia," he said. "Can we get your help? To Decrypt a building as big as the Compound, we're going to need all the Shautei strength we can get our hands on."

Amilia nodded. "Mr. Brookstone, will you come sit with Zane?"

Lou nodded, and they switched places. She and Azamat came to crouch down in front of the Protection symbol.

"Here, kneel here," Edna said, directing Azamat to one of the Connection Rivers. He took up position, pulling his Shauto gloves on, the Connection River on the floor running between his legs to the Period on the first wall. Amilia knelt upon the second River, Ed, the third, and Edna, the fourth.

They all placed their gloved hands on the symbol, their Shields overlapping and sparking wildly. Azamat had used Protect before, but never to Decrypt whole compounds; only to place Shauto Protections over small villages. They acted as semi-permanent Shields for cities and towns.

Even with so little experience in this area, he felt confident as he looked around at his twin sister and Mr. and Mrs. Walker.

"Brace yourselves," Edna said, licking her lips. "This is gonna be epic."

"On three," Ed said. "One.

"Two.

"Three."

"Ispravlyat'!" they all cried.

And Shauto erupted around them.


The Compound, fifth floor

8:04 PM


Jay made it halfway up the spiral stairs to find the fifth floor in chaos.

Hidein were everywhere, dressed in matte black body armor. He immediately picked Gahiji out of the fray, but it took him a second longer to spot Lloyd and December, dressed in their fluttery black cloaks and purple striped shirts.

Jay couldn't believe that the three of them were holding the Hidein by themselves.

The moment Jay emerged from the spiral staircase, a Hidein descended upon him and Nya, emitting a savage war cry. Jay swerved out of the way, hitting the wall.

"Hold onto me, Nya," he said. Nya obediently threw her arms around his neck.

The Hidein threw two punches, one of which Jay dodged; he spun to block with his upper arm. A different Hidein sent a blow towards him, and before he could even blink he was attacked from all sides.

"Sheesh!" he said, ducking again. He had lightning-fast reflexes, yeah, and no one had managed to harm him or Nya yet, but he couldn't dodge forever.

"Hang on, Nya!"

Nya gave a yelp and held on tighter as Jay summoned his Spinjitzu tornado. Bright blue and white sparks shimmered this way and that—there were several solid thwacks as their opponents slammed against the wall and floor. When he skidded to a standstill, there was a full six feet between him and any Hidein.

"You alright?" he asked his companion.

Nya's eyes were squeezed shut, her grip on his neck alarmingly tight. "F-fine."

"Can you fight?" he asked, kicking back a fresh Hidien.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Jay..."

Jay grimaced. "Hold onto me," he warned, but there was no need to say it again; she was already latched on tight.

He spun again, taking his Spinjitzu whirlwind into the center of the Hidein, where Lloyd and the others stood back to back.

"Hey-hey," Jay said with mock cheer as he reached their side.

"Jay," Lloyd greeted briefly. There was a smear of blood on his cheek and his breath was ragged.

"Woah, man, you don't look so great. Are you okay?" Jay asked.

"Fine," Lloyd said, though he looked about to keel over from the exertion any moment now. "Just—fine. How about you, Nya?"

"Dizzy," Nya said breathlessly.

December chuckled, sweeping a Hidein's feet out from under him and shoving another on top.

"There's no way that we can beat all of these guys!" Jay said. He spun and kicked a Hidein in the chest.

Another enemy grabbed the back of his shirt—Jay's stomach lurched as she imprisoned him against her, immobilizing him.

Foes were swarming upon them. One kicked Jay's calves, and another thrust a shuriken past his arm, sending a spray of his blood into the air.

Someone grabbed Nya's hair and yanked. Nya screamed. With a surge of panic and fury, Jay felt her being ripped from his arms.

"Oh—no—you—don't—!" Jay gritted.

He jabbed backwards with his elbows, crunching the Hidein's ribs. She hit the wall with a shout, pinned there, and he put all his weight upon her. Jay turned Nya, folding his arms across her chest, lifting her.

Nya understood immediately and began kicking with all her might. The Hidein let go of her hair, and she kicked another in the chest, her flailing legs catching another in the neck, then another in the stomach.

Jay shoved the Hidein behind him hard against the wall. He stepped away from the wall to feel her slip off his back and onto the floor, out cold.

Nya stopped kicking, and Jay grabbed both of her legs, readjusting her position in his arms. "Gah," he said, butting someone's head with his own, sending the offender sprawling. "I can't hold you like this forever, Nya, as much as I'd like to!"

"Really?"

Then a spiral of frothing, sugary green and yellow shot past him.

Jay flattened himself and Nya against the wall as the Spinjitzu tornado caught and relocated several Hidein, sending them up against the walls and flat on the floor. Someone even went tumbling down the stairs.

Jay winced. "That'll leave a mark."

The tropical Spinjitzu tornado slowed to a halt, and December emerged.

She beamed. "I did it!" she cried. "I did Spinjitzu!"

"Woo-hoo!" Lloyd called from where he fought his own batch of Hidein.

Using this bought time, Jay let go of Nya, making her stand on her feet, then knelt. "Quick," he said. "If you can't fight, then get on my back."

Nya clambered onto his shoulders, piggyback, and Jay lifted her.

"That's more like it," he said.

Left and right, they knocked Hidein down—Lloyd managed to summon his Spinjitzu tornado to send people flying, spheres of Shauto finding impact upon Hidein bodies—December fended off her opponents with her eerie, lightning-fast reflexes and dodges—Gahiji fought by sheer, lithe, physical power, fast and intense, and nothing could stand against him for long.

"You guys," Lloyd said, gasping as he shoved a man away from him. It was obvious how much stress his body was under. Every move he made seemed to shudder with pain. "We have to—get out—of this—hallway. They're just—gonna keep—coming!"

Gahiji pressed up against Lloyd's back. "And how do you suggest we do that?" he spat. He kicked a woman in the stomach, then gripped her by the shoulders and spun her. She slammed with a crack against the wall and slumped.

"We can't take the stairs," December said.

"We can't teleport, either," Lloyd said. "We're trapped!"

"No!" Jay said, grinning as he delivered a knife-hand to a man's neck. His Shield shimmered when a different opponent, snarling, attempted to Burn through it. Jay switched hands, pummeling him until he dropped. "I have an idea!"

"What is it?" called December, surprised and delighted.

"Let's take the elevator!" Jay said.

There was a pause, during which a Hidein croaked an expletive in Jay's face before Jay kicked him in both shins, felling him. A lot of Hidein that he had already fought were resurfacing for another go, and his bleeding arm was starting to feel the strain.

"That's a horrid idea," Lloyd said at last, kneeing a Hidein in the stomach and throwing him into another.

"No, no, trust me," Jay said. "I'm the Master of Lightning, Lloyd! I can get us to the top! It doesn't matter if anyone overrides us or anything, I can channel us straight to the first floor without any problem. It's what I do!"

"I'm sorry, Jay, but there are so many more things that could go wrong with an elevator than just getting overridden," Nya said.

"Hey, it's our best shot!" Jay said. He gripped a man by the hair and wrenched his head forward, then back, sending him tumbling into his companions, knocking four to the floor.

"He's right," December said. "We don't have a choice, do we?"

Jay Spinjitzued over to Lloyd. "Here. Take Nya and run to the elevator!"

Lloyd turned to accept her, but the moment that he held his shaking arms out, Jay knew that he would not be able to support more than himself. Lloyd doubled over, coughing for breath—December came up behind him and threw the Hidein advancing on him with a twirl of her new Spinjitzu.

"Nevermind. Just get yourself to the elevator, Lloyd, I'll carry her."

Gahiji appeared beside them. "Hurry," he said. "I will hold them off."

Then a huge, pulsing wall of green light swept through everyone in the hall.

The hallway was thrown into disarray. Sudden wind whipped Jay's hair from his face—Gahiji's leather jacket fluttered in the blast of Shauto that flooded through the whole Compound.

It left everyone stunned. Several Hidein crumpled to their knees from the force.

"That's it!" December realized. "They Decrypted the Compound!"

Jay screamed for victory.

"Now's our chance!" he cried. "Ninjaaaa, Go!"

He and Lloyd both whirled into their Spinjitzu tornados. Lloyd's was a faltering gold, which groaned and spun slightly off its axis as they pressed headlong through the Hidein flocking the hallway. They mowed down everything in their path, bulldozing foes into the walls and floor. December came up behind them, knocking all the remaining Hidein out with her own Spinjitzu.

They came to a halt outside of the elevator doors. Jay jabbed the up button repeatedly, then spun to survey the damage.

All the Hidein lay, groaning, on the corridor floor.

Gahiji jogged around the motionless black-clad warriors, reaching the elevator just as the doors opened.

His dry expression was pretty easy to interpret, for once—he was impressed.

Lloyd laughed, then bent over, putting his hands on his knees, coughing again.

They entered the elevator. Jay hit the button for the first floor, then knelt so Nya could get off.

"Please don't throw up on me," he said, when she groaned and tilted to one side, leaning against the wall for support.

"I'll try not to," she managed.

Jay stood up straight, trying to catch his breath. He put his hands on either side of the control panel. "You guys ready for this?" he said.

Gahiji nodded. December supported Lloyd under one arm, grinned, and gave a thumbs up. Nya only whimpered.

"Here, Nya, go to December," Jay said gently, gesturing to the Amidian. "I don't want to shock you."

Nya's eyes were glazed as December pulled her away. She looked alarmingly like Kai had, when he had been originally diagnosed with the Whisperer's Spell.

Jay turned his thoughts from that, for now. He focused on his Element—sending power surging through the cables, shoving all his energy to the bottom of the elevator to send it rocketing upwards.

Nya gave a shout and grabbed onto December. The lights flickered and died—Gahiji gripped the handrail, and Lloyd and December hugged each other, cheeks pressed together in the darkness.

Jay closed his eyes. He let the electricity flow until he felt the top of the elevator nearing; then he slowly released the pressure of his Element, easing it into the landing system. The elevator car crawled upwards for a few moments, then dinged.

For a few seconds, they stood in complete darkness. Nya gave a constricted whine.

Then the car doors opened onto the bright hallway of the first floor.

Jay clapped his hands decidedly. "See, I told you it would work," he said, stepping out into the hallway. "Now, there's no bad guys up here, right?"

Gahiji was the first to follow him out of the elevator car. December and Lloyd pried themselves apart awkwardly. December supported Nya on her shoulder.

"Zane, the Walkers, and the twins should be the only people up here," Gahiji said.

"Perfect."

Jay then retreated to the back, where Nya leaned against December. "Hey," he said, reaching out to her. "Hey, hi. Are you okay?"

Nya fell from December's shoulder to Jay's, convulsing.

Jay threw his arms immediately around her. "Hey, c'mon. Shh. It's okay."

He looked at December, alarmed, as Gahiji and Lloyd turned to analyze the situation. "Is she..."

"Under the Spell," December said quietly.

"The cell was pitch black. There was a ton of Whisperers surrounding her," Jay explained. "I had to kill most of them to get through to her."

December grimaced. "That'll do it. Assuming she's been in that cell since she disappeared at the pizzeria, she's been locked in there for days. It's a wonder that she's not comatose by this point. She's been exposed to the Whisperer's Spell for so long."

Jay draped his arms around Nya's thin, ill, feverish body, squeezing his eyes shut.

She was so frail. Within four days, she had thinned, sickened, enough that Jay could tell that she was lighter and weaker.

This was not Nya.

She was in the same boat as Kai had been in. Weary, weak, and frightened.

For now, Jay embraced her, sick with dread.

Wondering if Kai would even care that Nya was so dead inside.


The Compound, spiral staircase

8:07 PM


"Eboni," Zakhar said, his footsteps thumping up the stone staircase after his teammate. "Eboni, slow down a minute."

"You heard Sensei," Pyoter said, coming up after him. He was close behind Zakhar, ducking so as not to hit his head on the ceiling. "He said to hold the Compound."

"I heard what Sensei said," Eboni said fiercely.

"Well, could you explain, please?" Zakhar panted, annoyed. "We're not mind readers, you know."

"They're after Povelitel," Eboni said.

No one spoke for a moment, shocked. Eboni did not tire, but she heard her teammates puffing behind her as they ascended the spiral staircase.

"Then why are we bothering with the Compound?" Pyoter asked at last. "Why would Sensei keep us here, especially when we need to protect Povelitel?"

Eboni gritted her teeth, about to answer, when Zakhar cut in for her.

"Because he's trying to hide," he realized. "If we keep the Elemental Ninja here, he and J'avi can hide the Master without interference."

"Povelitel is too weak to face them," Pyoter realized.

"We have to stay here," Zakhar agreed. "And fight the Shautei."

Eboni's heart was in her throat as she skipped step after step. "Before long, they're going to realize what happened and go after Povelitel," she said.

"So we need to kill them before they figure it out," Pyoter finished.

"Take down as many as we can, and beat them to Povelitel."

"You'dve thought that we could hold our own base," Zakhar said ruefully, out of breath.

Then the floor convulsed beneath them.

They were all knocked from their feet. Pyoter just managed to not go tumbling back down the stairs, gripping the handrail for dear life—Zakhar grabbed it, too, squeezing his eyes shut, his dark hair flying in the sudden rush.

Eboni fell to the stone stairs, gasping. Power surged against her, making the Marks at the edges of her eyes throb with pain. Her entire being cried for relief. She clenched her fists on the stairs, bracing against the wind that had so suddenly blown her balance away.

A pulsing wall of green light crashed over them, leaving them shaking on the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Zakhar demanded, his voice cracking.

Eboni forced herself to her feet. The edges of her vision were dark; her Hidoi returned, frothing and enraged, to her gloved fingertips.

"That was them," she breathed. Now, she was breathing as hard as any of them.

"The Shautei?" Pyoter clarified, numb shock in his voice. "What did they do?"

Eboni lifted her eyes to the top of the stairwell, from which fading green light now emanated.

She clenched her fists.

"They broke the Compound."