Cole would rather try carrying five hundred pounds than try playing the guitar. Or singing. In fact, that was what he was trying to do in front of Steeper Wisdom.
"It'll attract more customers," Lloyd had said. "Please?"
"Are you sure? I think I'll do the opposite of attracting. I mean, have you heard me singing?" Cole asked as Kai ran in.
"Would you believe me if I told you someone could shoot lightning out of their hands?" he asked, breathing heavily.
"Lightning?" Morro slams a tray of teacups onto the table. "Tell me more!"
Lloyd jumped in. "Ignore my cousin. He's become obsessed with the mythological Elemental Masters."
Kai and Cole raised their eyebrows. "What are those?"
"Uh..." Lloyd looked like he said something that backfired. Which was presumably true. Cole was quite sure Lloyd didn't want to explain.
"They're... people. Who have superpowers..."
"And you think Skylor is an Elemental Master?" Kai asked Morro.
"This is the person you're talking about? She might be the Master of Lightning. As far as any of the elements I've managed to hear of..." Morro rubbed his head, muttering what Cole barely made out as other elements.
The doors burst open, Seliel and a red-haired girl running in.
"You look like you just ran around the whole block," Cole commented as the pink-haired girl sat next to him, dragging the redhead along with her.
Cole watched the redhead and Kai glance at each other, before looking away awkwardly.
"That was technically what we did. Plus a few more. I might have offended Sky's father's assistant," Seliel explained.
Meanwhile, Morro was throwing a dozen questions at the redhead. "You're Skylor? Is it true that you can shoot lightning out of your hands? Are you an Elemental Master?"
Skylor looked at him uneasily. Lloyd covered the raven-haired boy's mouth, causing his speech to become muffled and unclear. Morro shoved the blond's hand off, glaring at him.
"Exactly where did you get that?" Skylor asked.
"Your boyfriend."
"You have a boyfriend?" Seliel asked.
"I think Morro meant Kai," Cole added.
"Kai is not my boyfriend!" Skylor quickly looked at Kai. "I think you might have hallucinated."
"Come on, the whole day has been—" Kai cuts off, his eyes becoming unfocused.
Cole narrowed his eyes. "Kai? Hello?" He waved a hand in front of his face.
Kai quickly shook his head, rubbing it in confusion. "Uh, yeah... maybe I did hallucinate..."
Skylor excused herself, saying, "I should go clear things up with my father's assistant." She quickly rushed out, waving goodbye to Seliel.
"Hey, Kai, can I get your sister's number?" Cole asked as he watched the redhead leave.
Kai narrowed his eyes. "Don't do anything funny."
Cole
Hey, it's Cole. Can I ask u something?
Skylor nearly tripped over a crowbar sticking out from the heaps of trash waiting to be picked up by the garbage depot. Ugh, taking shortcuts always have something bad to go with it. Gosh, I nearly fell!
She imagined what her father would say if he ever found out she had fallen over a crowbar. Have more balance! You cannot afford to be a klutz! she could hear him saying.
"Uh, hey! Skylor, wait!"
Skylor turned around to see Seliel's friend— crush, Cole. She raised an eyebrow. What could he possibly want?
"What did you do to Kai?" he asked.
Her heart flipped, her heart rate spiking. Did he figure it out? Did I not clear up Kai's memory enough? She had been lucky that Mind was still on her!
Skylor backed away from Cole. Even though she would have to make skin-to-skin contact just to absorb his powers, she was not risking anything.
"I didn't do anything," she said. "What makes you think that?"
"I know what Elemental Masters are. Although I'm quite sure one can't have two at the same time," Cole said. "So, exactly what element are you? Lightning, then Mind?"
Well, time for the last resort. "Sorry, Cole, I think that went a little too far."
Once they cleaned up the broken plates and glasses, along with the milk and cookies— much to Libber's dismay— Nya had Jay's mother sit down.
"So... you know about this lightning-shooting-out-of-people's-hands thing?" Nya asked.
"Yes. I was one of them," Libber began. "The Master of Lightning. But the person you saw isn't a Lightning Master."
"She isn't?"
"Nope. Usually, the element would be passed down to a descendant, most likely their children, but can also go to someone else that the previous master deems worthy."
"Wait, hold up," Jay said. "So, you're saying I'm the current Master of Lightning!?"
"... Yes."
Jay takes a deep breath. Nya was sure he would start freaking out right there, on the spot. He did.
"And you didn't think to tell me until now!?" he shrieked. "That time when we had a blackout, that was me!? And when the computer got fried!? First Spinjitzu Master, stay away from me! I could electrocute you at this instant!"
The freckled boy scrambled backward, but Nya reached out, grasping his sleeve. "Jay, calm down!"
"Calm down!? What if I kill you!?"
"You won't!"
"Blue Jay, please listen to Nya and calm yourself. You won't electrocute anyone as long as you're in control," Libber said. Her jaw was tight.
Jay stilled. "Okay, I think I'm calm."
Libber glanced at Nya, narrowing her eyes as she inspected the raven-haired girl's face. "You do look similar to someone I know... does your mother happen to be called Maya?"
"... Yes. Are you saying I'm..."
"An Elemental Master? You could be Water. Unless you have siblings. You could also be Fire. Your father is Ray, right?" Libber paused, glancing awkwardly at Nya.
"Yeah, he's my father. So I could be Water or Fire?"
"Yes. About this person you saw..."
"Skylor? At least, that's what my brother said. She has red hair and green eyes."
Libber pondered for a moment. "No, she doesn't match anyone I know. And how she managed to have the same powers as Jay... she can't be related. Mine and Cliff's relatives don't have any redheads, as far as I've learned."
At the same time, Nya's phone buzzed with a new message. She opened it.
Cole
Hey, it's Cole. Can I ask u something?
Nya
[Nya changed Unknown Number to Cole]
Ask away.
Cole
Did u c lightning come out of a redhead's hands?
Nya
Yep. Something wrong?
The next message shocks her.
"Uh, I have to go now. Sorry," Nya said apologetically.
"It's okay. I should try to explain more to Jay," Libber said.
"See you soon, Nya!" Jay called after her.
Nya ran down the streets, breathing heavily.
She was very sure she saw lightning shoot out of Skylor's hands. How her brother could have thought he was hallucinating, she had no idea. But what Cole had told her made her feel uneasy.
Nya was about to turn into an alley when a flash of red shot past causing her to skid to a halt.
Skylor? Nya looked into the alley to see a disoriented Cole.
"Cole? What happened?" Nya approached him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Ugh. How did I get here?" he groaned.
Nya's heart plummeted. He didn't have a concussion, right? She'd have to track down Skylor later.
"You don't remember anything? Nothing about Skylor?" she prompted.
"Skylor? I feel like I followed her, but at the same time, I didn't. That didn't make sense."
"It doesn't." Nya grabbed his arm, pulling him along as they exited the alley. "Where's Kai?"
Seliel was bored. And furious.
After Skylor left to deal with her father's assistant, Cole had stood up and left as well, saying he needed to do something. She had tried to come along as well, but he insisted that he would be fine.
Pixal, Harumi, and Vania had entered later, the ivory-skinned girl listening to something that Pixal was talking about with genuine interest, while Harumi was staring at her phone.
And here she was, staring at the stumbling, disoriented Cole in front of her. The situation looked like the opposite of what he had said.
"What happened!?" Kai exclaimed after spitting out Serenitea. Not so calm and peaceful, Seliel thought.
Nya frowned. "I have my suspicions, but I don't know if it's true."
Seliel continued watching Cole as he leaned onto the table, propping up his elbows on the surface. He groaned. "I feel like I was spun around too fast and too much."
The pink-haired girl lifted her hand, patting his shoulder. "Do you remember anything?"
"Mm... no. Actually, wait, I do remember something." Cole sat up straight, turning to face Nya. "Did you really see lightning come out of Skylor's hands?"