Kai watched Cole massage his nose absentmindedly. It wasn't broken, but the motley shades of blue and purple decorating his sniffer were a painful reminder of just how bad they had it. His dad had once told him to always trust his gut, but Kai felt like his gut had bought a machete for the sole purpose of stabbing him and Nya in the back with it.
They could have gotten out; but no Mr. Gut told Kai that the only place he should be is at Lloyd's side. But why? What had Lloyd ever done for him? Since when was this his fight? It wouldn't have been easy, but Kai and Nya would have been just fine. The slums was a hoarder's paradise. No one found anything that didn't want to be found.
On top of it all what about-
"You look like you just bit into something sour."
A lukewarm bottle of water was shoved into his vision. Kai glanced to the side, relaxing slightly at the sight of his sister. Her hair had grown considerably in the last few weeks from cropped off at the chin to dancing around her shoulder blades. As soon as Kai took the bottle, she went to work fixing up her unruly locks into a messy bun.
"I did." I bit off more than I can chew. "Where's Garmadon and Lloyd?"
"Out. Apparently he wanted to see how Lloyd ran with his more advanced elites. We're stuck here for the time being."
Kai nodded, activating his jammer. Nya did the same. After about thirty seconds, Kai plucked his gun up from the dusty ground and plopped it on his lap."We should have gone with the Defectors."
"What?"
"Last night. They gave us the option of going. We should have said yes."
Nya pursed her lips thoughtfully, staring out the jagged hole blown in the wall. Someone had draped a curtain over it, but Kai had pinned the fabric to the side to serve as a look out. Garmadon had them scheduled to move bases that night, under the cover of darkness. But for now, they made do with the obliterated warehouse.
"Why?"
The question made Kai pause. Why, indeed."There's too many unknowns. Lloyd hasn't mentioned squat about a plan; and we all know what happened to the master of wind. This isn't just some kinda boot camp, Nya. If we don't do well, we die. If Garmadon figures out what we're up to, we die. If Lloyd's plan falls through- news flash- we die!"
"We've doubted Lloyd before." Nya pointed out, taking Kai's gun and rubbing a speck of dust off. "And it didn't end well for anyone."
"I know that. But it isn't just Lloyd. It's you."
Nya startled, hands freezing as she cast Kai an inquiring glance. "Me?"
"You. Nya, when mom and dad got... caught, I made them a promise. I told them that I'd keep you safe, no matter what. Then last night rolled around and I signed us both up for a suicide mission! I mean, face it, sis. We aren't getting out of this. Best case scenario, we both get executed for treason after knocking the pretty princess of her throne. There's always someone else. I put my trust in a kid who's been fighting this war unsuccessfully for years, and dragged you into it with me."
Nya listened, not saying a word for a long moment. She picked the rifle up and examined it, noting the intricate mechanisms that made it work, contemplating all that had been said as she did.
"You're wrong." She finally said, handing him the gun back. "Kai, you didn't make this choice for me. I made it myself. Honestly, it didn't matter if you came with me or not. I had every intention of seeing this through, with or without your consent. I'm sixteen, old enough to decide if I'm going to lay my life down on the line. You can't dictate that anymore."
"But-"
His sister rose to her feet, eyes glistening with passionate pride. "And we both know why you chose to help Lloyd. He's said it time and time again. There's more to life than survival. Our parents died in this war, and we had an option. We could go cower and pretend nothing's happening, pretend everything's all okay... or we can do something to make it okay... like mom and dad did. Our lives stink. We could die at any time, a horrible, miserable, agonizing death... But at least we went down fighting. And I'd rather go down fighting, than cowering."
Kai said nothing, watching as his sister reactivated her bracelet. It was a subtle way of telling him that all was said that needed to be said; and while her words had driven a stake through his heart, he knew them to be undoubtedly true. His little sister was growing up, moving beyond the measly protection he could offer; and in a way, that scared him.
It really scared him.
{LOCATION: WU'S BASE/TIME: 6:47 AM}
"Master Wu, welcome back."
"Thank you, Pixal. What happened while I was away. You said it was urgent."
"Indeed it is." The android beckoned him over to the computer, tapping a few buttons on the highly modified keyboard. It wasn't just numbers and symbols, but whole systems could be activated at a button push. Her mechanical digits flew across the board, making Wu briefly wonder how many buttons she wore out in a month. Digital newspaper clippings flashed across the screens, snipits about the newest resistance force, grainy photos that revealed very little about their targets.
"A new resistance force is on the rise. They've made sweeping strides in the slums districts. Gangs have been united, and at a moment's notice, plan to rise against the regime. Their number of supporters is continually growing. The slums are tired of the oppression under Garmadon and Harumi."
"Do you know anything else?"
"Yes, Master Wu. This resistance is comprised solely of people who despise you."
Wu was startled by the blunt remark, shooting pixal a slightly baffled look. The android had inserted just enough emotion in her tone to indicate that she was at least somewhat sympathetic to their cause.
"Despise m- What are you talking about?"
"Every member of the Defectors has... well, Defected from the Sons of Garmadon... provided they worked with us to begin with. Their founding members are Ray and Maya Smith. They formed an alliance with the the children, but the parents of the children you turned over to Garmadon. Their two most recent members happen to be former agent Yang, and Lloyd."
"They made contact!?" Wu snapped. How many straws until the camel's back broke?
"Indeed, and Lloyd was all too willing to join. You've lost three agents and a retired agent in the span of two weeks. While I have not questioned you before, I believe it is wise to inform you that your methods need revising."
"I've told you, Pixal. It has to be this way!"
"And yet, your plan has gone wrong. Lloyd has defected and is no longer willing to listen to you. Your ability to control the situation is nullified by the lack of willing participants in key positions."
"Pixal..."
"I have run countless simulations with the variables provided. Your plan had a fifty-three plan of success rate; however, now that you cannot over see it, the success rate has dropped. The new resistance does not have the influence necessary to aid Lloyd as we did."
"What's the success rate probability?"
The Android's green eyes fixated on him, attempting to convey her worry. However, having LED lights for eyes didn't always make emotions easy to express. Her tone, however, was another matter entirely.
"Nine point eight."
Wu cursed, turning away from his young associate and running his fingers through his beard. He knew what had to be done. For so long, he'd held fast to his pride, hoping that somehow, he would be the one to come out on top... But that was when he held all the cards. Fate seemed to love throwing hurdles in his path, and perhaps this hurdle was one aimed right at his pride.
"Contact the Sludge Squad." Wu commanded, pressing his cane against the door. "I'm going to the slums."
{LOCATION: SLUMS DISTRICT/TIME: 9:48}
"Red alert, red alert, breach in sector eight."
Lou didn't have time to put his full suit on, but he did snap the knee brace around his leg, stifling a hiss or pain as the leather straps tightened to provide the support that his ligaments no longer could. He heard the servos whir to life, standing up, taking a wobbly step and grabbing his Cane. In afterthought, he grabbed the helmet.
No doubt, he looked ridiculous, sporting his pajamas, a bulky leg support, and a high tech helmet. That was hardly the point though. He fell into routine, ignoring the fiery pain shooting up his leg in favor of a light jog. While no one had been asleep, a lot of them were old fogies who need their beauty rest. Hence why Lou was still in his bright pink pajamas. Ha, he could start calling himself pajama man.
Lou shook his head, stashing the very Cole-like joke into a mental lock box. He needed to focus on the task at hand. Ed and Edna had accidentally tried to put on the same suit, Edna wearing the bulky torso and Ed the pants. They hadn't bothered with helmets at all. Julian's room was locked, making it clear the inventor would not be joining this altercation. Maya and Ray were the only ones fully armored up. They seemed to do a double take at the hodge podge outfits the older folks had stuffed themselves into; but there wasn't time to say what they obviously wanted to say.
Silently, the darted for the breach, a section of the sewer pipes directly linked to the base. Lou's original inclination to complain about the unbearable stench of the sewer ducts would have to wait. A small section of pipes had been blown out, from the top, where an upper pipe ran parallel to theirs. A small pile of debris littered the murky dank tunnel.
Maya waved her gun at the three individuals standing there.
"Wu." She growled, voice laced with enough venom to kill an elephant. He wasn't wearing a suit like the two goons flanking him, just his ornate white gi that was still spotless despite the conditions.
"Agent Maya, agent Ray."
"So it wasn't enough that you put our kids in harm's way, now you're coming after us?" Maya snarled, stepping forward, the beam of light from the barrel of her gun blinding him. Wu looked down, shielding his face.
"I only came to talk." The old master replied, holding his hands up in a sign of peace.
"The time for talking is over, Wu." Ray shot back. "Get out of our sewer... now."
"What will shooting me accomplish? Will it bring your children back safely? No. Will it appease your troubled hearts? Certainly not. With my help, your children may have had a chance. That chance is significantly lower now. I only want to ensure their safety."
"You think we honestly believe that?" It was Lou who had spoken, glaring Wu down angrily. "Who made you god? Who made it alright for you to decide who had to be sacrificed for this agenda? My son... served you! For years!" Lou rarely yelled, rarely raised his voice. But now he felt justified. "But that. wasn't. good enough. You had to have more! After he told you he was done! You had no right to drag him back into that... any of them! You. Are. Not god!"
"I..." Wu lowered his head. "I am aware. Many have told me my plan was foolish, and while I cannot agree with that... I will admit there were better ways to go about it."
"So that leaves us with the business of cleanin' up yer mess, Sonny." Ed huffed, crossing his arms. Edna was glaring, her hazel eyes spearing righteous daggers right into Wu's soul. The old man shifted uncomfortably. "And we'll do it without ya, thanks for askin.'"
"You heard them. We're done here, Wu. Stay off our territory."
As the five Defectors turned to leave, the son of the first spinjitzu master bit his lip. It was now or never.
"I'm sorry." Wu admitted, forcing as much emotion into his voice as he possibly could. "I know those words can never give back what I have taken, but I'm sorry. I want them to come out of this alive... please... please let me help them. We have resources, connections, ways to-"
"Save it!" Lou snapped. "We don't want your-"
"Members of the resistance... This is Lord Garmadon." A voice surged through the tunnels as an explosion down an adjoining shaft shook the ground. "Stand down, and your arrest will be made... relatively... painless."
"Shoot." Maya turned a furious gaze towards her former mentor... Her former friend. "Wu, you led them right to us!"
Author's note: Ladies and gentlemen... Phew it's been forever since my last update. I needed to take a step back, take a breather; but this chapter marks my return. I can't promise frequent updates. I have a lot of school, but I'll try to post at least once a week. I know this was a short one, but I was really getting a feel again for the story and lining up for more awesomeness (I hope). Thanks for your patience! And... as always, stay tuned for future updates- Raven
Shoutouts:
Elbert the Cookie: Man, I need to thank you. I'd honestly forgotten about this story with everything else going crazy in my life. Thanks so much for the review. It got me moving again.
xxNikkixx: Thanks so much! Here's your update
Panic1AtTheEverywhere: Better late than never, my friend! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and Sky's redemption arc, and my little touch of morro frenzy. I hope to have more out soon! Thanks for the review!
Steampunk Wilson: :)
Northern Goshawk: Thanks! And it's totally okay. Morro has issues. That I will agree; but I have something pretty cool planned. We might even get to see a bit of Nya practicing her water manipulation in the next chapter.
Bookkeeper2004: Maybe... Just maybe.
