Chapter 21
Movie Ninjago
Zane brought the Ultra Dragon down on the docks not far from the mech warehouse and slid off their back.
As he did so, all four heads of the Ultra Dragon let out yawns and tired sighs.
Zane smiled at the sight. "Oh dear. You must be tired," he said, patting them on the side. "I can understand why. So many trips between worlds, a long flight over the sea, and fighting a mech on top of it must be exhausting."
Shard the ice head nuzzled him in agreement, but despite that, they still rose to their feet and prepared to fly off despite their exhaustion.
"You are welcome to stay and rest," Zane said to them. "You won't be needed until Lil'Loyd wants to return home after his trip tomorrow."
The Ultra Dragon paused to consider the offer.
But then the choice was taken from them when Meowthra suddenly appeared from behind a building, grabbed Ultra by the scruff of their necks and carried the dragon-like a kitten to a large pile of fishing nets and old cloth sacks the local fishermen had donated to make Meowthra a makeshift bed on the docks.
The demon cat turned in a circle around her net bed before curling up in it with the Ultra Dragon still trapped in her paws. It was clear she was not letting him go until he had at least had a nap, much to Ultra's annoyance if the grumbling noises they were making were anything to go by.
Chuckling at the sight, Zane made his way back to the warehouse.
He entered to see Penny sitting on the couch with her nose in Master Wu's book while Skylor wandered around the warehouse and examined the lockers where they stored their uniforms.
Oddly enough, the rest of his friends were nowhere in sight.
"I have returned," Zane announced, making both girls look up in surprise.
Penny immediately lit up at the sight of him. "Zane!" she said, setting the book down and hurrying over to him. "Are you alright."
Zane blinked. "Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Skylor winced as she came over and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps behind him had them all turn to see Zane's team along with Lil'Loyd, Morro, and Wu heading towards them.
"Zane, bro, you're back!" said Kai brightly at the sight of him.
"You doing okay?" asked Luh-Loyd.
"Yeah, you seemed out of it before you left," added Lil'Loyd
"We were beginning to wonder if you swapped brains with Zen," said Jay.
"Totally," Nya agreed. "You never miss the chance to meme, and there was one perfectly lined up after that last fight before we left."
"There was?" asked Zane in surprise.
Nya rolled her eyes. "This beach is empty," she said.
Zane's eyes lit up as he caught on. "YEET!" he finished with a wide grin.
As one the other ninja let out sighs of relief. "And he's back," said Cole.
"Indeed," said Zane. "I have returned from visiting Zen."
The Ninja Force shared wry smiles at him being too literal, but Zane wasn't done. "And I have something to tell all of you."
"Oh? What is it, Zane?" asked Luh-Loyd curiously.
Zane took a deep breath that he didn't actually need, and said, "I have not been entirely honest with you all. From the day we met, I have insisted that I am a normal human teenager."
"Actually, you said you were a preteen," said Jay, only to get an elbow in the gut for interrupting.
"Yes," said Zane, unphased by Jay's correction. "But that wasn't honest of me. The truth is, I am not human. I am a Nindroid created by my father. I am sorry I was not open with that information until now. I was worried it would affect our friendship."
There was a long beat of silence as his friends all stared at him with wide eyes, not surprised at what he was saying, but extremely surprised he was saying it.
Then with a shriek of delight from Nya, they all launched themselves at him, and despite his heavy metal frame, Zane was thrown to the ground and disappeared beneath a five-ninja tackle-hug.
Zane was allowed to sit up but remained surrounded in a massive group hug as his friends all cheerfully congratulated him.
"You finally said it!" "Don't worry, we knew!" "I'm so glad!" "This is huge, bro!" "Great job!"
Zane blinked as they all chattered around him, not one of them was at all disgusted or angry at his announcement. Instead, they were just happy and relieved he had trusted them with it, even though they already knew. He had to smile at the sight.
He really had the best friends.
Seeing as they seemed uninterested in letting him go any time in the near future, Zane glanced around at the others in the warehouse for their reactions.
Lil'Loyd gave him a smile and when Zane waved for him to join them, he jumped into the hug with some jostling, Morro was rolling his eyes at the others' reactions but gave him a thumbs up. Skylor had a sad smile on her face like she was happy for him but there was something on her mind (given the day she'd had, he wasn't surprised), and Penny was beaming at him with a bright grin as if she was delighted at what he'd said
Master Wu was nodding approvingly as well. "It is wonderful you have come to understand this and be true to yourself, Zane," he said. "And know that you are stronger for it."
Zane smiled at his words. Given their warm reception to his admission, he wished he had spoken up sooner. He'd never felt so accepted.
When his friends finally calmed down enough to let him up, Zane asked, "So what did I miss?"
His teammates exchanged a glance. "Well, kind of a lot," said Kai, pointedly glancing at Penny and Skylor, making it clear some of it they couldn't talk about in front of them.
Zane blinked and glanced at the girls. "I see," he said. "Was there something you wanted to tell me, Skylor?" he asked, feeling that would probably be safe to discuss.
Skylor winced again and explained between several apologies what she had let slip and what the consequences could be.
When she finished, Zane's face was the picture of concern, but not for himself. "If your father would be willing to disassemble me, would he be willing to do the same to my brother?"
"You have a brother?" asked Skylor in surprise.
"Yes, he does," said Penny. "I met him the other day. He is very sweet."
"Is he…. You know, like you?" asked Skylor hesitantly.
"Yes, my brother is also a Nindroid," said Zane.
"Then, yes," said Skylor looking worried. "He'd probably think he was an easier target. Though, he'd consider having you both to be ideal, that way he could compare you two."
Zane stilled as he heard that. "I must return home at once," he said.
Wu nodded in allowance. "Go. While it is unlikely Skylor's father will find them, it is better to be safe than sorry."
Zane gave a nod of thanks before grabbing his bag with his ninja gi from his locker and turning to exit the warehouse immediately.
"I'll go with you," said Luh-Loyd, hurrying after the nindroid. "There's safety in numbers and I can fill you in on the rest on the way."
"Yeah, we can have a sleepover," said Lil'Loyd, hurrying after them as well. "I haven't seen Tiny in a while."
"I'm so sorry!" apologized Skylor after him, before glancing over at Kai and whispering, "His brother's name is Tiny?"
"No, it's Echo," replied Kai. "Tiny's just a nickname 'cause he's short."
"I wish to come as well," said Penny hurrying after them.
Hearing this, Zane and the Lloyds paused to look back at her.
Penny looked bashful at their attention, but said, "I do not want to see anyone else I know harmed today. I wish to escort you home so that I may see for myself Echo is safe… and you as well, Zane."
Zane stared at her in awe for a moment, before smiling. "You are welcome to come along," he said. "Truthfully, I have something I wish to talk to you about as well."
Penny's face brightened, and she, Zane, and the Lloyds left the warehouse (Penny resolutely shutting her eyes and being led out as they did so).
When they were gone, Morro turned his attention over to Skylor. "So what'll you do now, Carrot Top?" he asked. "I doubt daddy dearest is going to be too happy with you, and going home's not your best option."
Skylor grimaced. Given her father's temper, Morro didn't know the half of it.
"We called our parents while you were out," said Nya. "You're welcome to stay the night at our place."
"If you want, that is," Kai added. "We really just want you safe."
Not wanting to incur the wrath of her father, and knowing sticking as close to the Ninja as possible was best for her mission, Skylor would be a fool not to agree. "I'll need to swing by my place first to grab my stuff, but, yeah," she said. "If it's alright with you, I'd really appreciate that."
Kai's face lit up, and Nya let out a sigh of relief.
"Then it's best you all head home for the day," said Master Wu. "Tomorrow will be a busy day."
"Why? The Lloyds are the only ones with the big meeting," said Jay.
"You don't consider defending Ninjago City important?" asked Cole dryly. "Especially after the last time, Lloyd had a mission he was sent away for."
"Meaning we'll need you most, Mr. True Potential?" teased Nya.
Jay turned redder than a tomato at that. "Oh, right," he squeaked, hiding his face in his scarf with a happy but incredibly flustered smile.
"Hold on, Lloyds? Meeting? True Potential? What are you talking about?" asked Skylor, looking confused.
Kai opened his mouth to try and answer without answering, but Morro beat him to it. "Sorry, can't tell you, Carrot Top. Ninja business."
"But-" Skylor tried to protest, but Master Wu agreed with his son. "I am sorry, young lady," he said. "But Morro is right. We can not discuss much of our missions with you."
"Aw come on, Master Wu," said Kai with a groan. "Can't I tell her something."
"No," said Wu. "Because you are terrible at being subtle."
Morro burst out laughing at the look on Kai's face at that. Kai shot him a look that said 'I'm so setting you on fire later.'
"Can I at least tell her about True Potential?" asked Kai to Master Wu plaintively. "That's more of a self-discovery thing, right? It doesn't have to just be ninja that learn it."
Master Wu let out a chuckle at that. "No, anyone can find their True Potential if they are willing to look. You may tell her about that, but nothing else."
"What if I read your book?" offered Skylor. "Then will you tell me?"
Master Wu hummed and stroked his beard as though he were thinking hard about that.
"No," he said bluntly.
"Dang it," grumbled Skylor.
"Knowledge of our secrets comes with trust," Master Wu said sagely. "And trust comes with time. It is simply too soon for you to know."
Skylor looked disappointed and but didn't see the point in arguing. Instead, she turned her attention to Kai and Nya as she covered her eyes with her hand and allowed them to lead her out. "So what is this True Potential stuff?" she asked as they left, followed by the other ninja.
When they were all gone, Morro glanced at Wu. "Want me to stick around another couple days?" he asked. "I've got this nagging feeling we're at the edge of a storm."
Master Wu sighed. "I feel it too. But only time will tell which direction the storm will blow."
"Meaning you don't know," said Morro dryly, well used to his father's attempts to always sound wise even when he was clueless. "Great."
All they could do was try to be ready.
Knowing they could spend the evening discussing ninja business, Zane hung back with Penny as they walked to his house. Taking the hint, Luh-Loyd pretended his phone was dead and had to use a payphone to call his mother, and took Lil'Loyd into the booth with him, allowing the two some privacy to talk.
"What did you wish to discuss with me?" asked Penny as they waited.
Zane looked down at his feet and seemed guilty. "First, I wish to apologize," he said.
"What for?" asked Penny.
"At the beach, I performed a health scan on Skylor to discover what had been done to her," Zane explained. "However, in my distress over those events, I made the error of scanning you as well."
Penny froze in place and looked at him with wide sea-green eyes.
"I'm sorry," Zane apologized softly. "I know what you are."
Penny still didn't move, but the expression on her face was fearful.
"I will not tell anyone," Zane promised. "Not even my friends. I understand feeling the need to keep it secret." He then smiled slightly. "However, as you have seen, my friends will accept you when you feel ready."
Penny was silent a long moment longer, then glanced to make sure the Lloyds were suitably distracted and no one else was around, before dropping her hologram, allowing Zane to see her as she really was.
Zane stalled at the sight and could only stare at her. Her silver hair shining in the sunset's light, and the circuitry in her synthetic skin glittering in purple hues.
"I… I am not hiding for myself," she admitted softly. "I am hiding to protect someone else, but… You have been so kind to me. I feel I can trust you."
Zane could only stare at her open-mouthed.
Penny looked away, worried this changed things. "I am aware you were interested in me while thinking I was human," she said, disappointment leaking into her voice, "but…"
She was cut off when Zane reached over to cup her cheek and turn her head to face him again. "You're beautiful," he said, awe shining through his automated tones.
If her hologram were on, Penny's face would have turned pink.
Then, an important part of her words registered to him, and Zane's expression shifted to concern. "Wait, you are protecting someone? Who? The Ninja Force could help."
But Penny shook her head. "From what I have seen, the Ninja Force has enough problems currently. We have been safe this long, and odds are favorable we will remain so until yours have been solved." She smiled at him. "Do not worry about me. We can wait."
Zane frowned, but couldn't deny that the whole team had a lot on its plate at the moment. "If you're certain," he said.
"Yes," Penny said. "I have your number now, do I not? If anything changes, I will contact you immediately."
Zane was still worried and then reached into his bag to retrieve the hood of his ninja gi. With a sharp tug, he pulled out the radio piece sewn into it and handed it to her. "Keep this," he said. "Please do not use it unless it is an emergency, but it will give you a direct line to the Ninja Force's communication system. If you are ever in danger, you may use it to call for help."
Penny took the piece delicately. "Will you not need it to contact your team?" she asked.
Zane rotated his head back and forth. "No. Truthfully, I do not need it. I am able to sync with the others through my mental circuitry. I simply used it to keep up the facade I was human, and I'd much prefer you to be safe, Penny."
Penny clutched the radio to her chest before slipping it into her pocket for safekeeping. "Pixal," she said softly. "My real name is Pixal."
Zane's smile widened. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," he said.
Pixal giggled at his quote. "Romeo and Juliet," she said with a smile. "Though perhaps we should avoid tragedies."
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate," Zane said without missing a beat, making Pixal laugh harder.
Then, the two were startled when they heard the phone booth door open, and Pixal quickly reactivated her hologram, not quite ready to show herself to the others just yet. From the knowing look Zane gave her, she knew he would stay quiet until she was ready.
"All set, Zane," said Luh-Loyd as he and Lil'Loyd came over to join them. "My mom will drop our stuff off at your place so we can spend the night, and then pick us up in the morning."
"Great," said Zane brightly. "I always enjoy our sleepovers."
"Except when they make us sleep," groaned Lil'Loyd. "Mom said we had to be in bed by eight."
"We have an early morning," said Luh-Loyd, rolling his eyes. "I don't want you falling off the mech halfway there."
"Going to bed at eight would give you the optimum eight-hour bedrest required for your growing body," Zane agreed as they all turned in the direction for his house.
And as they walked, Penny held Zane's hand the entire way there until they parted ways at his front door.
Echo and the Lloyds, great brothers that they were, playfully teased him about it for the rest of the night.
A/N I'm so sorry this was late. I had to take my father to a doctor's appointment this morning and forgot all about it. Anywho, oh dear, Pep Zane and Meowthra inadvertently have made things harder for the Show Ninja. With Ultra Dragon looking set to sleep there for the night, it'll be that much longer before they can get Lil'Loyd back to handle their Nindroid problem. Uh oh. Not that the Movie Ninja have any idea about that. They're more caught up in the Skylor drama and being happy for Zane since he finally admitted to them being a Nindroid. They know how big a deal that is since he's been in denial for so long. Also, Penny/Pixal and Zane finally got their heart to heart. Unfortunately, Penny has no idea that her problems are tied to the Ninja's current problems, and by trying to lighten the load by keeping quiet she has also made things more complicated. These guys really need to work on their communication.
Big thanks to Kay Hau for beta reading and helping to plan this chapter. The Ninja tackling Zane out of joy at his announcement was her idea, as was Zane telling Pixal she's beautiful, and she was a big help planning this out.
Next Time: Skylor learns about True Potential, and gets a taste of what a real healthy family dynamic is like for the first time ever.
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