Dun da da dun! Folks, this is it! Chapter 30! I rolled two chapters out the other day (make sure you read the second. I dropped a pretty interesting flashback)so I could write chapter 30 a bit early. I hope you all enjoy.


{1 YEAR AND 2 MONTHS AGO}

Creeeeak.

Panic seized Lou's chest as he heard the squeaky window upstairs grate open. It was time.

People said he was crazy, that no one could possibly be stalking him of all people... But he knew someone was watching him.

Cole had left for dance school... a year and a half ago? No two. Lou had lost count.

The letters continued to arrive in the mail, detailing the new things Cole was learning, but it never really talked about his life in general. Never once did Cole talk about friends or hobbies, never once did Cole discuss after school activities or extra curricular activities. And with every letter, Lou became more and more detached from his son.

Between his stalker and the estrangement, Lou felt like his world was falling apart. So he buried himself in work.

His dancing was cold and formal, the usual love he portrayed in it rarely peaking through.

He was way too jumpy these days, and it drove him away from the others since all he spoke about was feeling watched.

Now he knew it to be true. He had been that far from stepping back and acknowledging that for once, he might be wrong.

Gripping his cane in two sweaty hands, Lou clambered out of bed and used the handle to open his bedroom door. His first instinct was to jump back, but all that met him was the dark hallway.

He popped his head out and glanced both ways. Not a creak, not a sound. The window was in Cole's room. The one in the living room had been nailed shut months ago, but Lou hadn't touched Cole's room. Perhaps out of nostalgia, perhaps because his wife had always loved to look out that open window as she cradled her infant son all those years ago.

No, it was spinelessness. And now he was about to pay for it. He once again used his cane to prop it open. The blackness greeted him, dark shadows hugging the wall, untouched by the moon gleaming in through the open window.

The curtains fluttered lazily, snapping at the occasional gust of wind. A storm was blowing in. The ache in Lou's knee all but proved it.

He scanned the darkness from the doorway until his eyes could pick out the minute details of his son's room. Nothing seemed out of place, So Lou flipped the light on and let out a breath.

The first thing he noticed was the picture of Lou and Cole at a father son dance off. Cole had been five in the picture, barely coming up to Lou's waist. But it wasn't the details of the photo that drew the old man's attention, but rather the red marker lines exing his son out. Lou picked the photo up, fingers clutching the bulky black frame as he attempted to smudge the marker away. It coated his fingers, smudging free with a few rubs.

Who could have done this?Cole's father muttered to himself, unknowingly aloud.

The last thing he expected was an answer. "Me."

Stabbing pain in the side of his neck, a thick hypodermic needle jamming into the muscle, was the last thing Lou registered.


"Agent Mecha, requesting back up!" Cole snapped into his comms as he ran along the rooftops parallel to the fast moving van.

He thought white vans were a cliche from the old Fritz Donegan movies that no one but Lloyd watched anymore. Apparently they were far from cliche.

Of course Cole could acknowledge the fact that they blended with the environment, the pinnacle of anonymous.

But that didn't mean he was thrilled about it nonetheless.

"I am sorry, agent Yang." Pixal replied grimly. "We have no operatives available."

"What do you mean no operatives available?" Cole snapped. "They have my dad for the FSM's sake!"

"Hey, don't take my grandfather's name in vain." Lloyd's voice crackled over the comms.

"Pfft. He's not god. He just created Ninjago. That's all."

"Uh-"

"Look greenie, mecha. I need serious back up here."

"I'd help you but-"

"Broken leg. I remember. You're real danger prone ain't ya?"

"That and I had to scrub my last codename. They cracked it again."

Cole scoffed. "I could have told you Ultra Dragon was lame. Maybe don't name yourself after a mythical reptile of lore. You pick too many dragon refs. of course they're gonna crack it."

"Well what do you suggest? Marshmellow boy?"

"Actually I was thinking something more along the line of a bug. Perhaps the incredible Ant Man?"

"Or Dung Beetle. No one would figure that one out." Cole didn't recognize the voice, but he did hear Lloyd let out an undignified squeak.

"Who are you?"

Apparently they didn't recognize the man either.

"The name's Stan. I'm a transfer from somewhere else. Don't mind me. I'm just the janitor." The voice replied.

Cole laughed, problems momentarily forgotten. Then it returned when the van took a turn into the warehouse district.

"Look, I get it, Wu doesn't have any spare resources; but I'm still going in."

"The probability of it being a trap is ninety-three point seven percent. Your codename of Yang has remained an operable identity far past the recommended expiration date. It is likely that someone has pin pointed your identity. Going in alone would be foolhardy."

"Look, Pix- Mecha. I know!" Cole snapped, watching as the van drove into one of the warehouses. "But this is family!"

"Wu has strictly forbidden intended strikes without his permission or the buddy system, neither of which you can utilize at this moment."

"Screw Wu's buddy system, screw his orders. Family first!" Cole snapped.

"Agent Yang-" Lloyd interjected.

"Shut it, Greenie. I don't have time for this crap."

"I was going to say good luck." Lloyd replied dryly; and... taken aback, Cole let out a sigh.

"Thanks, kid. I'm gonna need it."


Lou felt a heavy burlap sack scrape against his cheeks as it was ripped off. He blinked.

His hands were strapped behind his back by zipties, the ground biting into his old and achy knees. He was kneeling on the rough cement floor of a warehouse, the old wooden structure and smell of rotting fish mingled with salt being a dead giveaway.

The room was heavily guarded by armed goons, none of Harumi's men per se. Each one was tattooed heavily, the favorite color being purple. A young woman with white face paint and heavy coats of purple lip stick sat on the edge of a table, legs crossed lazily as she cleaned her gun.

"Wha..." Lou frowned. The sahara had kissed his throat... the first sign that he'd been drugged.

"Well would'ya lookie here! The sleeping dancer finally awakens." The woman sneered with a way too high nasaly female's voice grated on his ears. It was the woman. She cast aside her gun, letting it clatter against the table.

"Who are you?" Lou demanded, tugging at his bonds, to no avail.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The woman dryly remarked, turning to a hulking behemoth of a man. "Who took out his gag?"

Killow shrugged slightly. "Never 'ad one!"

"Ugh... morons!"

"What do you want with me? Why have you been stalking me?"

The woman paused, shooting him a slightly bemused look. "We haven't been stalking you... and as for what we want, well let's just say you're bait."

"Bait?" Lou demanded, eyes wide in confusion and disbelief. "Who could possibly care enough about me to try and tackle you?"

More specifically, who did he know that would have gotten on this woman's bad side?

"Your stalker." The woman purred, flashing him the grin of a malicious Cheshire cat.

His-

"Let him go ultra violet!" A voice growled from the rafters. It was heavily synthesized, masking its owner's voice by electronic modulation.

"Ah, speak-a-the devil." Ultra Violet huffed. "Hello agent Yang!"

Lou knew that name. Agent Yang was regularly listed on the most wanted bulletins for being a member of the SOGs and Borg Resistance. What could a criminal want with him?

It's not that Lou didn't sympathize with the resistance cause, but it was a world he didn't ever feel the need with which to get himself involved... not after it killed his wife.

"Or..." Ultra Violet drawled thickly. "Should I say Cole Bucket?"

No.

Lou felt his chest tighten in both anguish and betrayal. His son? Somehow the pieces all fell together, the missing puzzle piece finally returned home.

The letters, the lack of visiting, the secrecy. It all just made sense. Up above, he saw Yang flinch.

UV picked her gun up, twirling it lazily on her pointer finger before letting the grip rest lazily on her palm. Lou felt the thin barrel press against his skull.

"I said, Let. Him. Go."

Ultra violet just cackled. "Oh please! Like you're in any position to bargain! You see, Yang, I hold the power here. Now surrender!"

"I see what this is." Yang replied, forcing a fake calm into his voice. This was really bad. "You're trying to get back into the queen's good graces! I mean, after your last epic failure, capturing a resistance member would be all the umph you need to get her at least listening to what you have to say! What's wrong UV? Wanna go home to mommy?"

Lou listened to his son taunt this madwoman. It was clear that Cole had experience dealing with crazies like these... Or at least that's what Cole wanted people to think. As an experienced dancer, Lou could spot a nervous performer; and his son was straight up terrified.

"Surrender!" Ultra Violet hissed, losing patience and charging her energy pistol up.

Lou flinched, eyes snapping to Yang.

"Fine!" Cole snarled, taking a jump from the rafters.

He free fell for a good twenty feet. "Cole!" Lou cried, but the agent had it covered. Thrusters popped out of his boots and gauntlets, easing his fall. He still landed in a crouched position, poised for a fight.

He studied his opposition before letting out a breath.

"adeiázo."


"adeiázo"

Lloyd sat back as Yang's highly synthetic voice hit the comm channel for the first time in ten minutes.

Pixal didn't miss a beat. "Master Wu, Cole has called an adeiázo. It's time to go."

The term adeiázo was from another realm entirely, or so Wu said. It meant evacuate or leave. Every time an agent was captured, they moved bases, giving that agent a slight reprieve. They changed everything, Codes, Codenames, passwords, formation patterns, and squads. Then the agent could answer just about any question without fear of turning his friends over to the Empress.

They hadn't shifted in nearly four years.

"I am not gonna miss this place." Lloyd declared, grabbing his crutches and rising to his one good leg.

"Arcturus is the only home I've ever known." Pixal told him remorsefully. "It will be sad to leave."

"Maybe one day we'll come back... when it's all over." Lloyd let his hand rest on her shoulder, giving her a comforting smile. "But for now, we have to go."

Pixal nodded, pressing the base wide speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen... we have a code adeiázo... agent yang has been apprehended. I repeat, agent Yang has been apprehended, we have a code adeiázo."


Cole heard the tell tale bleep of Pixal cutting his comm link from the main channel. He was alone now.

"What did you just say?" Ultra Violet demanded harshly, shoving Lou roughly and jamming the barrel of her gun against his skull.

"Just saying goodbye to my friends." Yang replied, stiffly.

"Take off your helmet! I don't want any more tricks."

"Yeesh... alright alright. Take a chill pill lady." Cole unsnapped his helmet and slipped it off, leaving Lou with a distinctly recognizable face. Cole's hair was longer and more tussled then last they saw each other. He'd matured from a thirteen year old into a stern seventeen year old with shrewd brown eyes and a calculating look.

His face softened when he locked eyes with his father, shame and regret passing over his youthful features and vanishing just as swiftly.

"Dad... I'm sorry."

Lou opened his mouth to speak... but what could he say? His son had lied, deceived, and betrayed him. On top of it all, his actions were the reason Lou was in this mess.

"Aww look at that. How touching!" Clearly Violet was unamused. "Killow?"

The big brute that Lou suspected had undergone illegal genetic mutation towered towards his son. Anger aside, Lou panicked.

Cole offered no resistance as Killow roughly grabbed him, driving him towards the ground and ripping his gear off.

"Someone call the empress!"

"I'll get it ,UV." Someone called, running towards the grungy tech room. Cole watched them go, internally seething.

"And throw them in the cages. I want a six man guard... no eight! If any of you let Yang get away, I'll personally skin you alive!"

A few gulped, flinching away as she stalked off.

With a grunt, Killow grabbed Cole and none too gently yanked him to his feet before thumping his back to get him moving. The young man staggered, knee nearly giving out.

Lou felt a twang of fear, not for himself; but for his son. No. His son had gotten himself into this.

But did I drive him to it?


Lou was tossed into the cell first, groaning as his face smashed into rough cement and the air escaped his lungs.

Stabbing pain mingled with a dull ache in his chest accompanied his inability to draw air into his lungs. With a panicked groan, he clawed at the floor.

"Hey, hey, easy!" Cole's voice soothed. "Just give it a few seconds."

True to his son's words, Lou felt air reluctantly fill his lungs again.

"Thanks... Cole."

Cole didn't reply. He was sitting across the dark room, back pressed against the rough wall, knees drawn against his chest.

There was a genuinely terrified look etched on his face.

Silence reigned supreme between them for a long moment as first Cole took stock of any escape routes, and then filed through the conversation he was about to have with his dad. Only then did he speak.

"I'm sorry, Dad... for all of this."

Lou wrinkled his nose and vehemently skewered the floor with a glare. "You lied to me." The Shock was wearing off, only to be replaced with welling anger.

You abandoned me.

"I know."

"How could you do this?" Lou demanded. "How could you blatantly go behind my back and do this to me?"

"Because you pushed me!" Cole snapped defensively. "All you ever talked about was dancing! You had dreams for me that I didn't have for myself! And I got tired of dealing with it."

"So you ran." Lou hissed. "And you lied."

"Yes. I found my calling. I wasn't born to dance. I was born to be a freedom fighter, a ninja."

Lou scoffed. "You sneak around stealing from the Empress and making a nuisance of yourself! There's no honor in that! You think you can do whatever you want, break the law! No son of mine would-"

"Stop!" It wasn't Cole who said it, but a voice from the next cell over. Lou peered curiously through the bars, spotting a young woman with light brown hair and jade green eyes, missing the look of heart broken horror on Cole's face at the prospect of being disowned.

"You're agent Yang, right?" The woman asked, noting his appearance, minus the helmet. Cole didn't respond for a moment, taking a shuddering breath before gaining the strength to nod in confirmation.

"I thought you were dead."

Lou was surprised at that.

"Why?" Cole asked curiously, taking a step forward and past his father, a pang of guilt still nestled into his chest.

"You were there when Harumi purged my building. I... I saw you hauling people from the rubble with your friends. I saw you take on squads of armed elites so we could escape. You saved over fifty of us. Then I saw you go down... your then friends panicked and I thought..." It took Cole a moment to decipher he quick rambling, but once he did, realization dawned on his face.

"Yeah, I got shot." Cole admitted. "Two inches higher and it would have killed me."

The woman fixed her eyes on Lou. "Your son saved myself and so many others from being burned alive in our own homes. Your son and his allies have been fighting an impossible fight, just so we have hope... he doesn't deserve the pain he's gone through, but he still endures it."

She spoke with a fiery passion that reminded Lou of his late wife.

"We fight for those who can't. We protect those who can't protect themselves. It's a worthy cause... I just wish you could see it, Lou." His wife had once said.

"Listen..." Cole said, raising his hand to halt her rant. "He has every right to he angry at me. Thanks for your support, but unfortunately I've faced most of my fights alone... this one shouldn't be any different."

There was a brokenness to his statement that startled Lou.

"But-"

"Hey! hush up in there!"


No one talked after that. Lou mulled over the woman's words as he thought back over what he knew of agent Yang.

Agent Yang was on the top ten wanted list in all the realm. His son was a highly wanted criminal on a warpath fighting for the Empress's downfall.

He remembered seeing a video somewhere, aired by the news. It showed grainy videos of various resistance members committing illegal acts... and he had seen Yang wipe the floor with elite soldiers. He wasn't just good at it... He was a master.

The pain and betrayal. Oh it stung, but how many lives had his son saved?

How many unselfish acts would it take to prove himself to Lou? That question turned the corner in Lou's thinking. His son was headed towards interrogation... and in the Empress's domain that never came painlessly. Lou knew that, and more than certainly his son knew it. Yet despite that, Cole had sacrificed his freedom for a man who wouldn't look him in the eye.

Lou looked up to see his son staring blankly at the ground, lost in thought. There was a faint glimmer trickling down his right cheek... and Lou knew he needed to salvage things.

"It suits you."

Clarity returned to the raven haired boy's eyes.

"What?"

"Being an agent, a freedom fighter... a rebel. You got it from your mother. You inherited her fighting spirit. All these years I pushed you away from following in her footsteps... or so I thought. I didn't realize I was doing just the opposite."

Lou closed it his eyes, voice cracking in despair. "I thought I was keeping you safe."

"I..." Looking away, Cole let out a breath "I'm sorry I lied. I really am... I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to be free. I didn't want to be told who I was. I needed to be who I felt I was."

"I know."

Lou sat down next to his son, hesitantly wrapping an arm around the kid's shoulders.

"Your mother would be proud... Because so am I."

Cole looked startled, tensing up... Not because of the hug, but rather because Killow was lumbering in. The brute took a pair of keys from his belt and unlocked Cole's door.

"It's time to go resistance boy..." Killow growled, giving the key a hard twist and tossing the door open. Cole hopped up, reaching an arm out to guide Lou behind him.

"How cute." The gang member growled. "But a waist of time. You couldn't take me alone even if you wanted to!"

"Wanna bet?" Cole asked, straightening his spine and glaring Killow down... or rather up. He could feel something welling up inside, power, courage, determination. He hadn't quite felt anything so exhilarating.

Cole glanced back at his father, who was staring at him with wide eyes which reflected a white light. Glancing down, Cole saw his hands glowing.

Wu had mentioned true potential, mentioned unlocking his powers by overcoming what held him back... and now it dawned on him that the only thing holding him back was his relationship with Lou.

Killow took a step back. "I know that I'm accepted for who I am!" Cole added.

"And that's all I need!"

Cole launched at Killow, prompting the big goon to swat at him. Cole dodged the attack, using the wall to bounce off of and kick Killow in the jaw.

The crack was audible, and Cole realized that he hadn't just broken the guy's jaw, but kicked a hole right through the wall from where he'd jumped.

I'm strong

Cole grinned more to himself, dodging a flailing limb as Killow wailed and slammed a fist into the gut of UV's second.

Lou watched his son attack, one maneuver after another, sending the creep staggering with every blow. Bright light lit the cell up, all of it emanating from his super powered son.

He really is like his mother.

Finally Killow's eyes rolled back as he collapsed. Cole panted heavily, shoulders heaving with every breath.

"Everyone... alright?"

The light began to fade, and Lou felt a small smile creep across his face as stalagmites crawled up and trapped Killow in a spiky prison.

Lou made sure the astonished young woman hadn't had a heart attack before nodding. "We're all good, son."


"You don't have to do this."

"Yeah, dad... I do." Cole studied his folded techno Gi before laying his carefully hand written letter on top. "I spent so much time playing this game, that I left you behind... and then I nearly got you killed. I can't... I can't do that again." Cole set the box under his bed. He'd send the suit to Borg later.

"But I don't matter! I'm old and-"

"And all the family I need. I'll never forget my friends in the resistance, but you're my family. I'm not gonna put it all at risk again."

Lou bit his lip and nodded. His son was giving it all up for him, and while he didn't fully approve, he was glad his son wasn't putting himself at risk any more. Should Cole ever change his mind, however, Lou would fully have his back.

"Besides. I'm still working at the lumber mill. So my days won't be all dull."

"Ah, and here I thought you had given up the dangerous life."

"You kidding?" Cole laughed. "I'm a dangerbuff after all."

"Danger...buff? You're gonna have to explain that one to me."

"Dad... I'll explain anything you want me to." Cole assured.


Hope you all enjoyed! This chapter was definitely a doozy, but I'm pretty happy with the finished product. Cole's retirement and origin in a way. I wrote and rewrote it, but this is the version I settled on. Hopefully it provided some insight into Cole's background for you all!


Steampunk Wilson: Yup, Lloyd's fears are pretty justified! glad you enjoyed the last couple chapters! Season 5 was pretty awesome. I hope I live up to expectations.