A/N: back and better than ever, fellas. how are y'all doing?

i'm actually in the middle of a pretty daunting transition period. in two weeks i'm moving to texas for school, which has been taking up a lot of time. packing and planning and job hunting and all that off-key jazz. i've been working bit by bit on this chapter for daysssss. literally forever. it's just fluff, ok. like a lot. it's literally just Nya bonding with Kai's teammates and working on her samurai mech. hopefully not too boring. apologies for any typos, i wanted to get this one out there quick.

also, this story was nominated a couple times for some Ninjago fanfic awards? WHAT? you guys are great, i love ya.

oOo

As soon as Jay and Nya return from their top secret expedition to Ignacia, they reluctantly part ways. Jay has training to do, and as much as Nya would like to stick around and observe, she has a more pressing matter at hand. Namely, her samurai mech.

Truth be told, Nya may know her way around a toolbox, but she's still an amateur. She's not afraid to admit that. The whole point of being an amateur is that you'll get better, as long as you stick with it. This is true in every case—except maybe Kai's blacksmithing skills. But anyway! There's still so much Nya doesn't know about mechanics and building things. Books can only do so much. An accomplice may be necessary for her plan to work.

Months ago, she'd added a fun little feature to her mech designs. Nya doesn't know what to call it yet, but the point is this: she can summon her samurai suit with the push of a button. Within a certain range, the mech will unfold and find her, using GPS technology to pinpoint her exact location. In other words, a signal will activate the mech. It still needs some tweaking . . . but the idea is there! So, the mission? Complete the feature.

It's simple, really. First, Nya will alter her bracelet. There's already a GPS system installed in the mech (not very professionally, but it should work). She just needs to connect the two systems. Probably basic science. Hopefully. But if not, that's when she hopes to utilize the next most competent individual on the team: Jay Walker. He's shown some interest in mechanics; the other guys are always begging Jay to fix/upgrade the training course.

With Jay's help, she'll have the tracking device built in no time!

He'll have to be kept in the metaphorical dark, of course. With some luck, Nya might be able to come up with a half decent cover story, maybe a handful of convenient, "hypothetical" questions to ask.

Next, she'll need to make another trip to Four Weapons. Her ride is unclear at the moment. Jay would be more than willing to fly her there again, but is that, like—exploitation? Something like that? Nya doesn't want to use him, gosh. Jay is good for plenty of things besides transportation services. It would probably be best to find a different ninja for the job.

Once she's at the shop, Nya plans to quickly test the feature and be done with it. She'll be working against the clock, especially with someone else present. But FSM permitting, it won't be too much of a hassle. The mech is too conspicuous, so she'll have to leave it at the shop . . . maybe in the backyard?

Summoning it will be the tricky part. No one can be around when she does it, otherwise her whole "grand, awe-inspiring reveal" will be down the drain.

So yeah, maybe there are a few kinks in the overall structure of the plan. But Nya figures it's her best bet. And thus begins Nya's most chaotic week in the monastery.

Step one: bracelet.

Bright and early the next day, Nya flies out of bed and skids into the kitchen before anyone else. When there's no morning training, the boys don't wake up until 9 at the earliest. That gives her plenty of time. So she digs around for some cereal and scarfs it down. Next stop is the pantry—but not for food.

After the ninja cleared out the storage room for Nya, they'd tossed all the extra clutter in various nooks and crannies. One of those nooks happens to be the kitchen pantry. Inside she finds boxes of lightbulbs, wire, a cheap set of watercolors (odd, but amusing), and various other objects of minimal interest. The wire might be helpful if it weren't obviously the kind used for arts and crafts.

Frustrated, Nya digs around through the cabinets some more, only finding dishes and several variations of snack food. Nothing useful. The guys must be keeping the tools somewhere else. Probably somewhere conveniently out of reach.

Nya's mid-turn, about to explore the monastery, when someone else slips through the kitchen door.

She freezes.

"Whoa—Kai?"

FSM, he's a mess. His hair is always treacherous but today it's absolutely frazzled, like he'd spent all night rolling through velcro. The bottom button of his pajama shirt is undone, his pants are crooked, and one sock is missing. But that wouldn't even be too concerning if it weren't for his face.

"What happened to you?" Nya teases. "You look like you slept in the dragon stable."

Kai only blinks at her, silent. There's something urgent in his expression, like maybe he'd arrived here quickly. Like he's anxious. And it's starting to make her uncomfortable.

"Kai, seriously," Nya tries again. "Something happen?"

Dazed, Kai leans on the inside of the doorway. His eyes roam the room carefully, then rest on her again. He scratches the back of his neck.

"Fine, don't tell me," says Nya. She doesn't have all day to wait for Kai to come back to life, so Nya leaves him there and puts the milk away. She tosses her bowl and spoon in the sink. On her way past Kai, he abruptly straightens and reaches for her arm.

"Hey—wait," he says.

Surprised, Nya obeys, shuffling back to him.

"Yeah?"

Kai looks up, sighing, then gestures vaguely with one hand. He nods to himself. Sighs again.

"Listen—you're, like—you like it here. Right? I mean, I'm just—I had this dream and—"

Nya raises a brow. "Dream? About what?"

This question seems to shut him down again, because Kai is rendered speechless for a long while. Nya tries to be patient. Clearly something is wrong, but she has a rather lengthy to-do list on her mind. If Kai's having weird dreams, wouldn't it be better for him to consult Sensei Wu? Maybe there's some, like, magical tea for this sort of thing.

Kai is still silent. Nya prods one more time.

"Do you wanna . . . talk about it?"

It's an awkward question, to be sure. Nya's never been the best at—well, feelings. That was always Kai's stronger area, though even he struggles with the delivery every now and again. Feelings are dangerous things. She's not very good at navigating them. Or discerning them. Or—acknowledging them, honestly.

Kai asks again, "Do you like it here?"

It's a loaded question, Nya thinks, but she doesn't have the time for elaborate analysis. "I mean . . . yeah. I guess. It was a little weird at first, but it's fine now. Why?"

That dream must've really messed with him, because she's never seen Kai look so disoriented. He mumbles something.

"Huh?" Nya frowns.

Kai tries again, just as incomprehensibly.

"Kai, I can't—"

"I thought you ran away!" Kai all but shouts, and Nya flinches back one step. For a moment, it looks like Kai might apologize for the outburst, but then he turns away, engrossed in the doorframe.

"I thought you ran away," he says again, quieter. "I had—you know. Whatever. It was a stupid dream."

Nya stays unmoving, observing her brother as he stares in the opposite direction. She feels . . . sorta bad for him. The massive to-do list circles through her brain again, reminding her of all the things that need to happen for her plan to work. Then the list is abruptly shredded in half by her built-in sibling code, forcing her to shift focus.

So she sighs in gentle resignation, taking Kai by the elbow and dragging him to the dining room table. Nya sits. Kai blinks at her oddly.

"What's this?" he asks.

Nya glances around, clearly a little uncomfortable. "I thought—didn't you wanna talk about it? Or something?"

It's nothing short of a miracle when Kai accepts her offer, plopping down next to her and massaging his temples. Nya waits as patiently as she can.

At last, Kai says, "I think—I guess I just feel bad. Or guilty, or whatever."

"About what?"

"I dunno." Kai is staring a hole through the tabletop. "Dragging you into this. Uprooting everything. We were just getting used to running the shop and then—"

"It's not your fault," Nya interjects suddenly. She frowns at nothing in particular. "I was the one who screwed everything up, remember?"

Now Kai looks at her, one eyebrow raised quizzically. "Say what?"

She realizes they're getting a bit off topic here. But the memories come flooding back, piling on top of each other as Nya struggles to sort through them. It had all been such a blur . . .

"You told me to stay inside, I didn't listen. I couldn't stay focused, I didn't have enough practice, and I—I stopped paying attention for one second and—"

Nya remembers the huge claw mechanism, the gripping dread, her stomach dropping as her feet lost purchase and—

"It's my fault," she says. "Nothing woulda changed if I'd just noticed—"

"Your fault?" Kai shakes his head in disbelief, chuckling grimly. "Wow. And here I thought you were mad at me."

"Why would I be mad? I'm the one that got captured like a—like a total baby, and then I put everyone in danger at the Fire Temple, and then—"

"Whoa, whoa, easy." Kai gestures with his hands. "Hold on. That wasn't your fault. You had no idea what was going on, none of us did."

If only that were true, Nya thinks. The clock is ticking, she's losing time, but hey. Kai's conveniently close by, so Nya might as well be honest.

"I did know, though," she says, hanging her head. "He told me. Garmadon."

"Still. It's not like you had a way to warn us."

Nya can feel Kai's gaze on the side of her face, but she prattles on with wavering courage. "He was a total jerk about it, too. Gloating and everything. And then I found out he sent the Skulkin to Walter's house, and I—" She pauses.

Kai urges her on, newly interested. "You what?"

Slowly, almost as though she doesn't quite believe it, Nya whispers, "I hit him."

"What?"

Nya locks eyes with Kai, feeling a hesitant grin spread over her face. "I hit him. I slapped him."

Somehow, Kai doesn't topple over where he sits. His expression is the most amusing combination of shocked and proud and awestruck, all twisted into a smile so bright that it could power the monastery for weeks.

"You slapped Garmadon. Dear FSM—in the face?"

"Y-yeah."

"Hooooly . . ." Kai tapers off, laughing openly. Nya soon joins in, and the two of them cackle with all the unbridled hysteria of a hyena pack.

After sobering slightly, Nya catches her brother's eye again. She gives him a significant look. "I'm not gonna run away. Pinky promise."

"Oh." Kai waves a hand. "Nah, don't worry about it. Just a dumb dream."

"Really? 'Cause earlier you didn't look so convinced."

Running a hand through his (still appalling) hair, Kai smiles sheepishly. "Look, I just—I don't want you to hate it here. I get that it's new and weird and everything, but—I think it's gonna work out."

"It's working out." Nya gives him a reassuring grin.

"Yeah?" So hopeful, so concerned. Nya could melt. Kai's happy here, that's for sure. He's not very good at concealing the obvious fondness he has for this team already. It's hilarious. And maybe a little bittersweet, though Nya doesn't linger on it for long.

"Yeah," she says instead. "Don't sweat it. We're good."

Seemingly subdued, Kai nods. Before the mood can shift awkwardly, Nya makes a reconnaissance comment.

"Were you looking for me?"

Kai eyes her. "When? Just before?"

"Yeah."

He frowns, starting to protest, but Nya can see the barest tint of pink in his cheeks. She gapes, laughing.

"You totally were. You thought I—"

"No! No, I wasn't—I didn't—"

"You were looking for me because you care."

Kai sputters indignantly, previous sentiments forgotten. "I wasn't looking for you, I was—I wanted some water, that's it—"

His efforts are useless against Nya's charade, though, and she latches onto his arm, feigning affection. "Awww, Kai, you do love me!"

"Get off—"

"You're a big loving, caring, squishy-hearted—"

"Nya!" Kai's almost as red as his gi when he finally stands up, shaking her off his arm. "Cut it out."

"What're you embarrassed for? I think it's sweet." She's still flashing a megawatt smile, clearly teasing.

"Sweet?" Kai backs up, pretending to be afraid. "Whoa, sis, keep that kinda talk to yourself. I'm not—"

"You're a marshmallow, that's what you are."

He gasps dramatically, clutching his heart. "Ohhh, now you've gone too far—"

"Yeah? How does teddy bear sound?"

"Stop, stop, it hurts—" He stumbles into the doorframe.

Nya snorts, stepping over to him. She gives his shoulder a playful shove.

"Okay, okay. You dork."

"Dork—! Mercy, your honor! I beg you!"

Nya herds him out of the kitchen, glaring good-naturedly. "Don't you have training to be doing? Sparring? Something—?"

"I just took enough hits to last me a month."

"Ha, ha, hilarious. Scram, ya nerd."

"Nerd! My heart! My soul!" With another exaggerated wail, Kai staggers down the hall, most likely headed to pester his teammates with similar theatrics. Nya finds herself smiling to herself, head shaking at her brother's expense. But there's a little tingle of satisfaction at the back of her mind, too. She hopes she'd taken his mind off the dream. And any related concerns.

Now! Back to the task at hand.

After rather copious amounts of searching, Nya winds up with a screwdriver. The tool is a little clumsy in her hands, especially since she's a bit out of practice, but Nya sets to work anyway.

Her bedroom floor is where she spends the next twenty minutes or so, carefully wedging the screwdriver underneath her bracelet's stone. The tool is too thick, she thinks. Something else would work better, something thinner, sharper . . . maybe a pair of pliers?

Rummaging under her bed, Nya drags a toolbox out. She'd packed it among her other things when Kai was moving all their belongings to the monastery. Would've been nice to have it twenty minutes ago, but Nya only just remembered it was here. She digs through it. No pliers.

"Come on," she mutters, frustrated. But there's a surplus of other options, so Nya figures she'll try out something else. Soon the floor is littered with tools, scattered around her in a circle of dejection. She's currently wedging a scissors blade underneath the stone. It's too big, though, and in one sloppy slip of the hand, Nya pushes too hard and the scissors jerk sideways.

"Ah—" she hisses, dropping the scissors. A new cut adorns her left hand, small but stinging like no one's business. It's parallel to her thumb, running up the side of her hand. Little droplets of blood are already beading there.

Great. Another setback.

Nya can't be bothered to get up and find a Band-Aid, though, and . . . it doesn't hurt that much. It's fine if she leaves it alone for now. Back to business.

She tries everything. Screwdrivers are useless and chunky, the scissors are clearly a lost cause, hammers are too big, wire cutters can't get a good grip, and a wrench is totally out of the question. Nya even tries nail clippers. But nothing is doing the job. The stone is loose in its setting but otherwise stationary; how had it been inserted, anyhow? With concrete?

Nya turns to rummage for another solution and accidentally scrapes her hand against the toolbox's sharp edge. With a grimace, she yanks her hand away and examines the cut. It's open again, bleeding. Maybe it's time to take care of that.

Grumbling to herself, Nya pushes to her feet and shoves out into the hall. There must be a first-aid kit around here somewhere, it's a building of rowdy teenaged boys for gosh sake. Injuries are probably expected and frequent, not to mention the constant ninja shenanigans going on in the courtyard. Nya's just rounding the corner to the kitchen when she bumps face-first into something rather solid.

"Whoops, sorry Nya!" says the person, steadying her guiltily.

She blinks up, realizing it's the earth ninja. Cole.

"Uh—you're good," she says. "Didn't see ya. Totally fine though. You're, like—" she knocks on his torso, "—made of rock, or something. Which, I guess that would make sense, 'cause—ya know, the ninja of earth . . ."

Nya trails off, cursing her mortifying existence. She should've kept her mouth shut.

But Cole just chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, heh."

Nya ducks her head, unwilling to risk another response, and steps around him to get in the kitchen. She reaches up for a cabinet handle, unaware that Cole is still watching her.

"Whoa, what happened to your hand?" he asks.

Nya freezes where she's standing on her tiptoes. "Oh. Uh—nothing, I was just . . . tinkering. Hand slipped."

Cole smiles wryly. "Tinkering, huh? Need some help with that?"

"Oh, no, don't worry, I got it. It's a—special project, not anything—"

"I meant your hand," he says, looking amused.

Nya stops her rambling. "Oh." She's so jittery today, FSM. What's up with that? "Sure."

"Cool. Follow me, first-aid kit's in the bathroom."

Cole nods towards the hall and heads off, Nya following after only a moment of hesitation. Truth is, she's not nervous, just—well, she doesn't know Cole all that well. Jay has made the most effort to include her lately, with Kai occasionally checking in to make sure she's occupied and content. Zane and Cole . . . not so much. It's not like they're mean or actively rude. They just keep to themselves most of the time. Minus team meals, of course, or training. Nya doesn't see them much.

So this is a little awkward. Especially after she'd not-so-subtly commented on Cole's ab muscles. That's gonna haunt her. But hey, he'd offered to help out, so Nya's not gonna turn him down. She wasn't looking in the right place anyway.

"Here we go," Cole says, pulling the white case from under the bathroom sink. "Wanna take it from here, or . . ?"

Nya nods.

"Sounds good. There's rubbing alcohol down there too, if you wanna—"

"That's a myth," Nya says offhandedly, already digging through the first-aid kit.

From the doorway, Cole blinks. "Huh?"

Nya looks up at him, remembering herself. Apparently she has no control over her tongue today. "The—the rubbing alcohol. Using it or hydrogen peroxide can actually delay the healing process and damage skin tissue."

Cole's looking at her oddly. "Oh. Whaddya use, then?"

"Mild soap and warm water. Unless it's a deep cut. Then saline solution is good."

Nya runs her hand under the faucet water, expecting Cole to shrug and resume his normal daily activities. But when she sneaks a glance at him, he's still standing there, leaning on the wall like he's thinking hard about something.

"Gotta lot of experience?" he says finally.

"I guess." Nya swipes a washcloth over the cut. "Back at home, Kai used to get cuts and scrapes a lot from—ya know. Working with metal and stuff."

"Didn't your parents ever keep an eye on that kinda thing?"

Nya stills, feeling something drop in her stomach. She chews her tongue for a moment, debating what answer will sound the least damaged or defensive. In the meantime, Cole, who's beginning to get the feeling he said something very wrong, shifts from foot to foot.

Eventually Nya looks at him. She loses nerve halfway through the action and her eyes find the sink basin again. "They died when I was three," she says.

She sees Cole move from the corner of her eye. "Oh. Shoot, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"Didn't Kai tell you guys?" Nya plunks down on the edge of the bathtub.

"No . . . he hasn't mentioned your family. I'm sorry. That was—really stupid of me, gosh. Sorry."

Nya's somewhat bemused by the amount of times he's apologized. She shakes her head, dismissing the topic. "Not a big deal, it's okay. It's been so long I hardly . . ." The sentence tapers off into nothing, though she'd meant to say something about not thinking about her parents very much. The realization aches. It really has been a while since her thoughts have strayed in that particular direction, and Nya feels suddenly ashamed.

Cole steps into view, green eyes full of sympathy. "I get it," he says. "It's been almost two years since I—I lost my mom. I can't imagine how it was for you guys, losing both like that."

Nya hadn't missed the way his voice skipped right before mentioning his mother. The ache in her chest dissolves into something softer as it morphs into pain on Cole's behalf, not her own. She hadn't known he lost someone, too. In fact, she doesn't know anything about any of Kai's teammates. Abruptly, Nya's the one feeling guilty.

"Sorry about your mom," she says gently. One hand half-heartedly pushes through the contents of the first-aid kit.

"'s okay. That's life, I guess. Not always a field of daisies."

"No kidding."

They both chuckle a little, but there's not much humor behind it. Nya finally finds a Band-Aid and fiddles with it absently. Cole shifts in the doorframe again.

"So—I know this is kinda irrelevant, but . . . how're you liking it here?"

Nya stifles a snort of amusement. Seems like everyone's been asking her that lately.

"It's . . . it's good. Tough for a while there, but I think it's gonna work out okay."

Cole looks genuinely relieved. "Hey, that's good to hear. I was worried when Kai told us you two were moving in, 'cause—well, I know what it's like to go through big changes. I was scared you'd hate it here," he chuckles ruefully. "I felt bad."

"Don't feel bad," Nya chides lightly. "It's a lot different from Ignacia, but I get it. Kai really likes it here. Being a ninja. I'm not gonna keep him from that." A moment of silence, then, "Besides! It's good for him to have guy friends."

Cole nods, smiling slightly. "I've never had any siblings. Not many friends, either. Then Sensei Wu found me, gave me this opportunity, and now . . ." He laughs silently to himself. "Suddenly I have three new brothers—" he looks at her, "—and a sister."

Nya's heart performs inhuman maneuvers. She blinks, feeling the corners of her mouth turn up.

"You sure you want a sister?" she asks teasingly. "I've heard they can be a pain."

"I have high hopes," says Cole with a grin. "If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask, 'kay?"

"Noted." Then just as Cole is leaving, Nya is reminded of what she was doing before all this. She leaps off the tub's rim. "Hey, wait, there is something, actually!"

Cole pauses, eyebrows raised. "What's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to have some pliers lying around, wouldja?"

oOo

By the end of the afternoon, Nya has finally succeeded in removing the smooth, red stone from its golden wristband. She's even halfway finished with wiring the homing device, thanks to her spare parts box that's been hiding under her bed for days. There's just one final piece that she needs to complete the concept.

A GPS chip.

Probably one of the most difficult items to locate in an ancient monastery . . . on the top of a mountain.

Nya's options are severely limited. So she winds up wandering the halls yet again, pacing as she formulates the best way to finesse this. The technology works exactly like GPS trackers; the bracelet sends a signal to the mech, the mech responds and finds her. Easy. There's already a few related installations that she'd cobbled together months ago, but this is different. She needs . . .

"Jay!"

He's just rounded the corner, eyes widening at the sight of her. He perks up.

"Hey, Nya!"

Nya rushes toward him, words bubbling out immediately. "So I had this little—tinkering idea, right? 'Cause it can get kinda boring around here sometimes. And I was just wondering if you'd wanna help me out!"

It's hardly a surprise when Jay nods, eagerly replying, "Yeah, sure! Love to."

"You're into mechanics, right?"

Jay blushes, rubbing one arm humbly. "I mean—I can mess with bits and pieces, yeah. What did you have in mind?"

"A tracking device."

Jay's eyebrows shoot up. "Tracking device?"

"Yep."

"For—a person? Or . . ?"

Nya grasps for an excuse. She hadn't realized it would sound so creepy out loud. "No! Ha, no. I'm just trying to . . . expand my horizons. You know?"

For a moment, Jay seems mildly suspicious. But evidently he's far too eager to pass up this opportunity. He hitches up one shoulder, gamely. "Good enough for me!"

Their first order of business is locating a GPS chip. Turns out, Jay has his own collection of spare parts. Trinkets, found objects, scrap metal, you name it. It's sort of impressive, actually. They're currently rummaging through the plastic bin, shoulders bumping lightly as they evaluate potential contenders.

"GPS, huh?" Jay says. He pulls out an extension cord, tosses it aside. "Should be something in here."

"Thanks again," says Nya. "I appreciate the help."

"Anything for—err, no problem! Happy to assist a fellow tinkerer."

They loosely discuss GPS technology, satellite signals, and topics of the like. Jay's curiosity seems genuine rather than prying, so Nya happily explains her interest. She never mentions the mech, of course. Some comments are largely hypothetical, especially when she brings up wanting to possibly extend the GPS tracker to a toy helicopter or something, to see if it would work. Jay nods enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that'd be neat. Like car remotes. You press a button and it starts the car!"

"Exactly!" Nya digs out what appears to be a faded license plate. "Remote start. And the GPS tracking is a bonus. Imagine the car just—coming to you."

Jay's about to respond when he yelps in victory. Nya sees it at the same time and they both pull out the slightly battered GPS screen. They share an exuberant glance.

"Think this'll do?" Jay jokes.

"It's perfect."

So they gather up a few more useful items and trek back to the kitchen. Zane is there, dutifully cooking vegetables for what looks like a stir fry dinner.

"Hey, Zane," Jay greets on their way in. Nya offers a smile.

"Hello," says Zane. "Dinner is nearly ready. The others should be here soon."

"Sounds good, buddy."

Jay and Nya plop down at the kitchen table, scattering tools over the surface. Nya snatches the GPS and yanks the battery compartment open. The two of them quietly exchange advice for a while, carefully pulling out the GPS system's innards.

Not twenty minutes later, an appalling contraption sits on the table, radiant and glorious. To Nya, anyway. It really isn't much to look at, just a little device fashioned in a circular manner. Some wires are poking out here and there. This will be the feature that gets installed in the bracelet; maybe, if Nya figures it out, it will even summon her mech.

By then, Zane is reaching for dishes in the cabinets. Nya notices this and stands to help.

"Thank you," Zane says when Nya starts setting the table.

"Sure! You all take turns cooking, I figured it's only fair that I start helping out around here."

Nya doesn't see it, but Jay cracks a fond grin from his seat.

One by one, the other guys trickle in, followed by Sensei Wu. They're ecstatic to try Zane's food; allegedly he's the best chef out of them all, and Nya sees no argument in the statement. She rarely keeps track of whose turn it is to cook, but Zane is certainly talented.

(Cole not so much, though she wouldn't dare say it.)

When they're all situated around the table, Kai nods at the piece of tech. "What's that?"

Jay starts to say "a tracking device," but Nya elbows him halfway through the phrase and says, "Just tinkering."

From across the table, Cole gives them a significant look. "Tinkering? Together? Romantic."

Nya rolls her eyes and Jay chokes on his zucchini. Everyone else laughs knowingly, except for Zane, who seems puzzled.

"Who said anything about romance?" Jay challenges, crossing his arms.

"I did," says Cole innocently. "Like five seconds ago." Jay glares.

Kai points his fork at Nya. "Sixteen," he says. "Three years to go."

Laughter explodes across the table again, but Nya's more focused on the heat blooming over her cheeks. Jay suffers a similar fate. Even Sensei is chuckling.

"I'll still date sooner than you," Nya deadpans in Kai's direction. His mouth falls open in indignation.

"Ohhh, she got you, my friend," Cole grins, clapping Kai on the back.

"Betrayed! By my own sister."

"Hey, you started it."

Kai shrugs sarcastically. "You're right. You win in the romance department. Tinkering together? How can I top that?"

Zane frowns at the madness. "I do not understand. I fail to see the romantic value in—"

"Not now, Zane," Jay interrupts, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Yeah, not now, Zane," Cole repeats. "They're having a moment."

Nya stares daggers. "Careful."

Laughing unabashedly, Cole raises his hands in surrender. "Okay, Tinkerbell."

"Tinkerbell?"

Kai looks afraid for Cole's life. "Run, man. Run right now."

And so it goes. Nya doesn't even realize until later that it's the best team dinner she's experienced so far. Usually the awkwardness is almost unbearable—for her, anyway. But she must be warming up to everyone. Cole deserves brownie points for helping her out earlier, and for being so open about his mom. It made her feel . . . less isolated, in a way. Zane's stir fry ends up being phenomenal; Jay makes him promise to cook it again soon, and Zane is pleasantly flattered by the request. Kai is in much higher spirits for the rest of the night, his unsettling dream seemingly forgotten.

Nya brings the tracking device back to her room, where she inserts it into the bracelet. With some heavy duty glue and a bit of reshaping, the stone is soon a functioning remote summons. With a single press, the stone sinks enough to put weight on the button Jay fashioned into the GPS system. The signal will be enough to start the mech from a distance. It's kind of the coolest thing ever.

But Nya's to-do list isn't done yet. She still has to get back to Ignacia to try the feature directly.

Little does she know, the trip will result in more than just a test-drive.

oOo

A/N: i literally know nothing (repeat: NOTHING) about GPS or tracking devices. or mechanics. but ya know who does? google. thank thor for that. most of that mechanic-speak was spitballin' though. just so y'all know XD

next chapter we'll maybe see the samurai x cave in its early days! nya had to discover it somehow, right? that's what this story is for. the unseen moments!