25
The music was loud enough that M could hear it in his room on the uppermostfloor of the school. He sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror, trying to get the top of his hair to lie flat. At last, it seemed to obey him, and he sighed as he smoothed the suit he had just bought. It was a charcoal grey, and his tie was a bright poppy red. As he made eye contact with his reflection, he fixed himself with a determined look.
"All right, M," he murmured. "Show time."
"Stop! The break!" Colby shouted. Dani managed to slow them down, but not before the front of the bike crashed into the garbage cans on the side of the school. Colby felt his girlfriend wince.
"I'm so sorry," she offered. "Your bike's gonna be so dented after tonight."
Colby blinked, his hands still shaking. However, he managed to find his voice as he chuckled. "I'm not really worried about the bike," he assured honestly. "Are you okay?"
"Fine. Just hoping nobody saw that." Dani dismounted from the bike and pulled the helmet off again. "We made it in one piece, though, so I can officially cross 'riding a motorcycle' off my bucket-list."
Colby smiled, though he left his own helmet on. "Hey, I'm going to go park the bike. Wanna meet me inside?"
"Afraid I'll crash it even with you driving?"
"It's just cold out," Colby pointed out honestly. "I'd rather you go inside where it's warm. I was the dummy who thought it would be smart to ride a motorcycle to a formal dance."
"I was the one who let June talk me into a sleeveless dress in February," Dani pointed out dryly. "Do you want your suitcoat back, at least?"
"Nah, that's okay. I'll be right back."
"Hurry quick—I'm ready to dance, and I'm not gonna do it by myself."
Colby flushed. "Just remember dancing isn't my strong suit."
Dani rolled her eyes as she tugged on his sparkly tie. "Hey, if I can drive a motorcycle, then you can dance, Walker."
"You crashed the motorcycle."
"Don't take too long." Dani said with an impish smile. Colby nodded his agreement before starting the motorcycle and heading off. It didn't take long to park, and he examined the dents to the front of the bike afterward.
"Not too bad," he decided with a shrug. His mother had fixed bikes that were much, much worse than that. Colby headed back to the dance, leaving the helmets behind on the bike. He ran a hand through his hair as he went, hoping that it didn't look too crazy. If the twins knew I took a bike to the dance, I'd never hear the end of it, he realized, but then he scowled. Who cares what the twins think?
He was walking alongside the school when he heard a faint whirring. Colby glanced up, and he frowned as he realized a security camera on the outside of the school was trained directly onto him. He took a few steps forward, and felt a little unnerved when he realized the camera was following him.
"What's up with the tight security? I'm not here to rob the place, obviously," he muttered. There was a clap of thunder, and Colby hurried to get inside as it started to sprinkle rain.
Everything felt over-the-top, and Amber just stared at the chaos. Dresses glinted in the dim light, music echoed off of the walls and floor, and people yelled at each other to be heard over it.
"They really went all out," Patrick called over the din, gesturing to the dainty springtime decorations littering the dance hall.
"Yeah," Amber agreed, though she found herself searching the crowd. Who am I even looking for? Dani?
"Do you want some punch or anything?" Patrick asked, and Amber sighed.
"Let's just dance," she offered with a smile as she grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor. Patrick seemed surprised, but he didn't argue. Songs overlapped as the crowd milled around them, and Amber was able to lose herself to the different kinds of dance. Patrick laughed along with her as they tried to tango and salsa to popular songs that didn't quite have the right beat. Eventually, a slow song started, and Amber was happy when the atmosphere of the dance quieted to match it.
"May I have this dance?" Patrick asked with his goofy grin, offering a hand. Amber rolled her eyes as she took it.
"Did you think I'd turn you down, after all the other dances we just did?" she asked. Her hair was starting to come loose, but she didn't really care. Patrick didn't seem to either as he put a hand around her waist and pulled her close, and suddenly, they were waltzing.
"Are you having fun?" he murmured, and Amber smiled up at him.
"Yes. Though, remind me that this gown is no good for dancing. I really should have gone with something simpler."
He laughed. "I suppose that makes sense. I've never tried to dance with twenty pounds of fabric weighing me down, but I can't imagine it makes it easier."
"You'd be right," Amber offered. Now that the dancing had slowed and they had to rely on conversation once again, the Oni felt awkward. Why was it so hard to talk when it was just the two of them?
"You are so talented, ball gown or no," Patrick offered as he spun her around. "You make everything look easy."
"I have a good partner," she offered, and he smiled at her. As they danced, Amber looked around and realized that she finally could see Dani. Her friend was still wearing Colby's suit coat, and she was laughing as she tried to lead the Walker through a simple waltz. Colby's face was bright red, and it just got deeper as Dani draped her arms around his neck and leaned close.
"They're a good match," Patrick noted, having caught sight of who she was staring at.
"They are," Amber agreed. She felt a spike of nervousness shoot off of her own date, and she turned in concern. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm great," Patrick said, but she noticed that he seemed to be sweating a little more than usual.
"Do you need to stop?" she asked, slowing her steps.
"No! I'm fine," he said before chuckling nervously. "Honestly, this night has been fantastic."
"It's been fun," Amber agreed lightly. Patrick's smile grew.
"I think we should do it more often."
Amber blinked. "Well...I think this is the only dance that the Headmaster is planning on—"
"I didn't mean the dance," Patrick laughed, and Amber's stomach knots twisted further as her partner pulled her a little closer. "I meant the date."
"Oh." Amber's mind blared with warning, but all she could do was stare at Patrick as she felt his hopeful nervousness roll off of him.
"I'll be honest...I wasn't sure you'd even agree to come with me," Patrick admitted as he turned her again. "I mean, everyone's been trying to figure out if you and M. Openheimer were dating. I was relieved to find out that you weren't."
Amber felt her blood go cold. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you wouldn't have said yes to me if you were dating him," Patrick tried. "When you texted and said you could go with me, I was as excited as my Dad getting a new milking machine."
The Oni's mouth felt dry, and she cleared her throat. "I...um. You asked, so of course I'd say yes. You're my friend."
"And you're my friend," Patrick agreed. "But now...I don't know. We could try being something more than that?"
The music seemed to be getting softer...that, or Amber's heart was just pounding too loudly in her ears. As she processed what Patrick was asking, her mind went completely blank.
"Amber?"
She could feel his concern growing, and she forced herself to swallow. "Let's...let's just focus on finishing the waltz," she offered, trying to sound cheerful and not completely out of her element. Patrick nodded his agreement, and they twirled around the dancefloor for the remainder of the song. At last, the song ended, and Amber tried to keep her hands from shaking as she pulled away.
"You're so talented," Patrick said again, his admiration obvious in his expression and the feelings wafting off of him. "I swear that everyone in the room has their eyes on you."
If the comment was supposed to make Amber feel better, it didn't. She offered her date a weak smile. "I...I have to go to the bathroom," she offered at last. "I'll be right back, all right?"
Patrick's expression flickered, but then he nodded. "I'll meet you by the punch table, okay?"
Amber nodded, but then she turned and fled from the room. She tried to make it look like she wasn't running away, but her nerves were so tied up that she thought she might puke. She hurried down the school corridors, making a point not to look at anybody. At last, she managed to stumble into the bathroom, where she gripped the edge of the sink like a lifeline as she stared at herself in the mirror. The makeup seemed to have spread, and her entire face glinted with the glitter from the eyeshadow in the yellow bathroom lighting. Amber forced herself to take a few deep breaths, but she couldn't get rid of the stomachache.
Patrick likes me, she realized. As in, he really likes me. What am I going to do?
"It's not the end of the world," she whispered, chiding her terrified expression. "Patrick's a great guy...he's sweet, and kind, and a good dancer..."
But can you really see yourself dating him?
Amber chewed her lip, and she finally closed her eyes. "You're being ridiculous," she told herself. "It's just a dance. He didn't propose...he offered to maybe take me out on a few more dates. It wouldn't kill you to go on a few more dates, just to see." Her stomach twisted violently in response, and she grabbed her head. "It doesn't matter! You don't have to agree to anything tonight, Amber...but you've gone and stranded him on the dance floor. Get ahold of yourself."
She took one last breath before finally forcing herself back out into the hall. She walked confidently down the hallway, talking herself through the next conversation with Patrick the whole way. Her shoes clicked on the marble and echoed off the walls, and though the hallways were practically empty, she could hear the din of the dance even from here.
"It'll be fine," she whispered to herself as she passed a staircase.
"What'll be fine?"
Amber jumped as a voice cut into her thoughts, and she looked up to see a figure leaning casually up against the railing of the stairs. She blinked as she recognized M. "What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he pointed out as he descended the stairs. "What happened, Oni-girl? Got bored of the hick already?"
Amber's expression darkened. "He's not a hick," she reminded. "Where's your date?"
M shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't ask one."
"Then why are you dressed up?"
"Because I knew this would happen." He was smirking at her as he reached the bottom of the steps, and she frowned as she realized he was still masking his emotions.
"Knew what would happen?" she asked exasperatedly. M. didn't answer as he looked her up and down.
"That's quite the look for you, Oni-girl," he pointed out. "Never saw you quite this dolled up. You sure went out of your way to impress your not-hick date."
"I didn't go out of my way for Patrick," Amber argued, and M cut in before she could finish her thought.
"Then who did you go out of your way for?"
"No one!" Amber clenched her fists. "Mia and May wanted to dress me up, all right?" Her face was burning as she watched him circle her. She had known that M would find her outfit over-the-top.
M came to a stop in front of her, and he met her eye to smile again. In the distance, Amber could hear the song changing in the hall. "Let's dance," M offered, and Amber was shocked when she felt him wrap his arm around her waist.
"I can't," she pointed out as she stiffened. "I have a date, M."
"A date you left."
"I was in the bathroom," she countered. "Let go...I've already kept him waiting."
"Please. He'll be fine." M didn't remove his arm as he smiled at her. "Can't you hear the music? This would make a great—"
"I said I can't," Amber snapped, pulling herself out of his grip at last. She moved to leave, but M. grabbed her hand.
"Oni-girl..."
"M!"
"Amber."
She turned to see him looking almost vulnerable. The Oni sighed. "What?"
"Come on...what's the point of getting back to Patrick? You don't even like him."
Amber rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous," she pointed out as she went to leave again.
"I'm serious!" M said, moving in between her and the way back to the Dance Hall. "So he's a good partner, or a trusty cowboy, or whatever. You don't really like him more than just that."
"You don't get to decide who I like, M," Amber hissed.
His expression darkened. "What, so you're dating him now?"
"I never said..."
"Gonna get married and move to his farm? I'll bet raising cows will be a lot more fun than dancing. Good move."
"You're being stupid!" Amber shouted. Her voice echoed down the hall, and she winced and lowered her voice. "It's a date, and I'm sick of everyone trying to make it out to be something more."
"Then you don't want it to be something more?" M. said quickly, latching onto her reasoning.
"Would you just let me get back to the dance?"
"I had to talk to you tonight," M. said as he moved closer. "I had to make sure you weren't making some huge mistake."
"What mistake?" Amber asked desperately, her throat tightening. "M, you're not making any sense, just like you haven't made sense for weeks. And what's worse, you're masking your feelings so I can't even—"
"You should know what I'm talking about!" he argued, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Well, I don't!" she snapped back.
"You deserve better than that hick, Amber. You deserve better than being with someone that you don't care about!" His grip was tightening on her shoulders, and Amber shook her head.
"What—"
M moved fast, and Amber froze as he aggressively pressed his lips against hers. The slap came just as fast as the kiss, and M. finally released her as her hand made contact. They stumbled apart, and Amber's hand went to her mouth as she stared at him. For a few moments, neither of them said anything, and the Oni couldn't tell if the wave of horror and shame was coming off of M or if it was only her. M's hand was on his flaming cheek, and he was staring at her with wide eyes.
"Amber..."
"Don't." As the word escaped, the shock seemed to fade as well. Amber's fists clenched as her eyes filled with tears. The humiliation made it impossible to stop them, and M's expression became stricken as he watched her start to cry. Before he could say anything else, Amber shoved past him and headed straight for the dance hall.
"I'm so sorry," Colby said again, but Dani just laughed as she studied the damage to the skirt of her dress. They were out in the hall near an exit to the outside, and Dani fingered the ripped material.
"Don't worry about it," she said. "Honestly, I think this dress would look better with a shorter skirt."
"I told you I couldn't dance," Colby pointed out. Dani looked up to see him staring at the floor, and she reached out to lift his face to meet her eye.
"I crashed your bike, and you ripped my dress. Now we're even, Walker."
"But—"
"I'm not mad," Dani promised, scanning his eyes. "When would I ever wear this dress again, anyway?" Colby smiled then, his nervous, unsure smile. Dani wrapped her arms around his neck, murmuring to him. "Besides, it was getting stuffy in there, wasn't it? It's nice to have an excuse to come get some fresh air."
Colby was stiff as she kissed him, but after a few seconds, he relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. Dani played with his hair, and she thought about the state of her own. Kissing aside, the motorcycle ride had more or less ruined it, and she could only imagine what June was going to say later.
A clap of thunder took them off guard, and they pulled apart at last. Dani glanced over at the glass door to see a flash of lightning light up the sky. She grinned, releasing Walker as she walked over to watch the rain pound on the door. "I love thunderstorms," she murmured.
"It makes me feel like the sky is having a temper tantrum," Colby mused as he tried to smooth out the wrinkled collar of his shirt. Dani laughed at his consensus, and she threw open the door. She heard her boyfriend gasp as she ran out into the rain. "What are you doing?" he called after her.
"I feel like it hasn't rained in forever!" she shouted, lifting her hands up to the storming black skies. She felt a hand on her back, and she turned to see Colby staring at her as the rain pounded down on them. His look was hard to interpret, and the pianist suddenly felt self-conscious. Dani pushed her dampening hair out of her face sheepishly. "We were gonna get drenched on the way home anyway, right?"
Colby smiled, and she watched as he looked up at the rain. The droplets were lit up by streetlights stationed along the side of the school, and the freckled young man lifted one hand. "Watch this."
Dani blinked as she realized that the rain was no longer landing on her. Looking up, the young woman gasped as she realized that the rain almost seemed to be hitting an invisible umbrella. She wiped at the droplets on her glasses so she could get a better look. "You're doing this?" she asked. "I mean, that's a stupid question. You're the Master of Water—of course you're doing this!"
"It's not really that impressive," Colby offered, though she could hear the pride in his voice as he concentrated on the rain around them. "I'm just altering their course slightly."
"Of course it's impressive," Dani scoffed.
"Lloyd's been helping me train," Colby explained. "I don't think I'd be able to take on an army of snakes or robots or anything...but it's getting easier to get the water to listen to me."
"You're amazing, Walker," Dani laughed as she hugged him. "But you always were...even before you could control rain."
His smile faded as he turned to meet her eye, and Dani wondered if she had said something wrong. However, in the next moment, Colby had released the rain so he could pull her close and kiss her. Dani smiled through the kiss as the rain pounded against them again, but she didn't care as she wrapped her arms around his neck. With her eyes closed, she didn't notice the droplets of rain that whizzed around them excitedly like they had a mind of their own, or the security camera on the side of the school that was trained directly onto the drenched couple.
26
The drive to Lou's house was silent, and Amber felt horrible. The tears continued to leak down her face as the window-wipers on Patrick's car whirred every few seconds.
"You're sure it's nothing I did?" the brown-haired boy asked at last as he turned onto the right street. Guilt and shame caused Amber to stifle a sob, and Patrick glanced over at her, his concern obvious.
"I swear it wasn't you," the Oni promised through her tears. "Patrick, you were fine, and it was great. It's just...I don't..." Amber buried her face in her hands. "I don't know. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Patrick countered gently. "I just wondered if something happened."
"I ruined the whole night," Amber sobbed. "I just...Patrick, I can't..." she trailed off, and she heard her partner sigh.
"You don't want to date me?"
Amber looked up in horror to meet his eye. Patrick had parked the car, and he was smiling sadly as he looked at her. She could feel the sadness coming off of him, and it made her want to cry all the harder. He reached out to take her hand.
"It's okay," he promised, and she could tell he was sincere. "You are the most amazing, talented girl I know, Amber...but don't feel like you have to say yes just because I like you." He sighed, glancing away. "You probably didn't even want to come on this date, huh?"
"No! I mean, yes!" Amber wiped at her face in humiliation. "I did want to come with you, Patrick—and it was fun! I just...I came as your friend, not as...I don't think I can..."
"I get it," Patrick said gently. "I'm sorry if I put too much pressure on you. I obviously came on a little too strong."
"You were fine," Amber assured again. "It wasn't you. I just...with everything going on..." She wanted to explain what had happened with M to help Patrick feel better, but just the thought of what had happened in the hallway filled her with shame and horror. She couldn't bring herself to talk about it, not without dissolving into a complete puddle.
"You're under a lot of pressure," Patrick interpreted with another sad smile. "Being an ambassador and taking all those extra classes. You don't need to think about relationships right now, Amber." He popped his door open, but he hesitated before getting out. "I'm just hoping that this doesn't put a damper on our friendship."
"We're friends," Amber promised as she wiped at her face. "And partners...none of that's changed."
Patrick nodded, his expression pensive as he got out of the car and came around to the other side to open her door. "Can I walk you to the door, at least?"
Amber nodded as she wiped her face again, wishing she could stop crying. Patrick helped her out of the car onto the wet sidewalk and then walked her up to the porch of her grandfather's house. At last, they reached the door, and Patrick sighed.
"I'm sorry," he offered again, and Amber turned to look at him. She knew that he was feeling guilty and lost, and it made her feel even worse. The Oni's expression crumpled, and she threw her arms around him as she embraced him tightly. She could sense his surprise as he stiffened, but she just squeezed him tighter.
"You were fine," she promised. "It's my fault, Patrick...it's my own problems."
"Let me know if I can do anything to help," Patrick offered. Amber nodded as she released him, and he gave her one last sad smile. "Thanks for coming with me."
"Thanks for asking me," Amber offered around a hiccup. He seemed unsure of what to do next, so Amber finally turned to the door and pushed it open quickly to save them both from saying anything else. The door closed behind her, drenching the room in darkness. But instead of turning on a light, Amber sank to the ground with her back pressed against the door. She wrapped her arms around her knees as she began to sob in earnest.
"Amber?"
The Oni froze, and she looked up in horror to see Theo turning on a lamp. She winced as the sudden light ousted her pitiful state, and she watched her brother's expression turn from surprise to fury.
"I'll kill him."
"No!" Amber managed through her sobs as she pushed herself to her feet. "It wasn't Patrick...it was just...I couldn't..." her words became intelligible. Theo crossed the room quickly, studying her in concern.
"What happened?"
Rather than answer, Amber threw herself at her brother, sobbing into his chest as she clung to him. She could feel Theo's continued concern, but he didn't say anything else as he held her close.
Dani laughed as she dragged Colby back through the hall. "Should we head back to the dance?" she teased.
"We're a little wet," he pointed out, laughing himself as he looked back at the puddles they were leaving behind them.
Dani glanced at an ornamental clock on the wall and sighed. "Well, I suppose that we better head out. I'm already going to get the reprimand of a lifetime from June when she sees the state of me—better not poke the bear by missing curfew."
"Fair enough," Colby agreed, leading her through the hallway.
They had nearly made it to the main entrance when Dani caught sight of someone sitting on the stairs leading up to the second story. "Openheimer? What are you doing?" she asked. He glanced up at her, and she was shocked by how tormented he looked.
"I screwed up, Dani...I screwed up so bad."
Dani blinked, dread settling in her stomach. Between the haunted look on M's face and the fact that he actually called her by her real name, she knew it was serious. She sighed as she pushed her wet hair out of her face.
"What did you do, Openheimer?"
Theo studied his sister from where she had fallen asleep on him while they sat on the couch. He debated whether he should wake her up so she could change out of the damp and mangled dress she was wearing. He had never seen her this dressed up, and he frowned as he fished pins from her hair. He hadn't managed to get much of an explanation out of her, and he was worried about what had happened while she had been out. Fury rippled through him—if he found out that someone had touched his sister—
Amber murmured in her sleep as she snuggled closer to him, and he sighed as he wrapped an arm around her. His mind whirred with everything he was trying to puzzle through. What had happened on Amber's date? Why were there Ninjagoan chains in the Oni realm? What did Rook really want? The mysteries seemed to mesh into each other as Theo's sleep-deprived brain circled on an endless loop. Eventually, he succumbed to sleep himself, and Lou found them both on the couch the next morning.
"I don't have time for this!" Mia yelled at her family. "I have pictures to edit and post online, so just leave me alone!" The door to her self-appointed studio slammed shut, and Nya stiffened.
"Don't you slam the door on me, young lady!" she yelled.
"Go away!"
"Great, now I'm going to have a headache for the rest of the night," May muttered as she climbed the stairs to her room. Her long hair had started to float around her, as if charged with static electricity, and Jay called after her.
"Don't touch any light switches!"
"Why is our family falling apart?" Nya asked, and Jay turned to see her glowering at Mia's door. The man sighed.
"It's not falling apart," he tried, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's just going through a few bumps, is all."
"They were bumps when they were younger," Nya argued, making her way to the living room. "At this point, it feels like we're crashing into mountains."
"It's hard, getting older," Jay tried as he followed his wife into the front room and sat next to her on the couch. "Remember when we were this age? We were a mess, too."
"Actually, I feel like this was the point we got our heads screwed on right," Nya argued. "Mid-teenage years, I would agree with you. But when we reached our twenties, the team started splitting up and we all moved onto the important things. It doesn't even feel like our kids are anywhere close to having their lives worked out, but they're already adults."
"Give them time," Jay sighed. Nya sighed, burying her face in her hands.
"Is this our fault? What did we do wrong?"
"We didn't—"
"Our kids hate each other, Jay! When did that happen?"
Jay tugged at his collar nervously. "Pshhh...they don't hate each other. They're just bickering. Remember when the team used to bicker? That's normal family stuff."
"Not this bad," Nya sighed. "Kai and I butt heads plenty of times growing up, but neither of us ever doubted that we loved each other. The way Mia goes off on Colby..."
"It's a little volatile," Jay admitted. "But I'm sure they'll get over it."
"But what if they don't? What if they just hate each other forever, and our family becomes divided indefinitely? What if it never gets any better, and our kids all move to the far corners of Ninjago to be as far away from each other as—"
"Woah, calm down, Nya," Jay urged as he took her hands. "I'm the one who's supposed to panic and overthink things, remember?"
"Were they always this bad?" Nya asked as she looked up to meet his eye. "Did they hate each other their whole lives and we just didn't notice?"
"Well...I guess there's always been rivalry," Jay tried. "The twins were always on a totally different wavelength than Colby."
"Should we have pressured them to get along more back then, before it got this bad? I didn't really think anything of it—siblings fight. Kai and I did all the time. But the older we got, the closer we got. With our kids, it gets worse with each year."
"I never really had siblings," Jay agreed, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Other than the team, but we had our spats there, too."
"What are parents supposed to do when kids fight? Solve everything for them? Discipline them so they never argue and never know how to solve their own problems?" Nya dry-washed her face. "I didn't have parents to solve my problems, and I turned out fine. I thought it was best to let them work out their own issues."
"I guess we could have jumped in a little more," Jay mused.
"So you think we screwed up our kids."
"They aren't screwed up," Jay countered. "They're just...working through some stuff."
"It's too late to do anything about it now," Nya lamented, leaning back on the couch. "We just have to watch everything fall apart."
"It's never too late," Jay assured, squeezing her hands. "We'll get through this, Nya. It's hard right now, with Colby getting his powers and Mia feeling slighted...but it will get better."
Nya met her husband's eye, and he gave her a reassuring smile. The woman sighed, tears swimming in her eyes. "I sure hope so."
"You wanted to see me?"
Zerek didn't turn from his screen as the woman spoke to him from his doorway. "Come in."
The woman scoffed, her heels clicking across the floor as she made it to the seat on the other side of his desk. "I thought it was too risky for me to come in person these days, what with your new intern and all."
"Ve need to move forward. Ve are running out of time."
"Move forward with what?"
Zerek looked up at last. Without answering, he turned his computer screen around. The woman raised a perfectly tailored eyebrow as she studied the grainy film of two figures kissing in the rain. "What's this? Some kind of cliché teen romance?"
"Feed from ze Marty Openheimer's School of Performing Arts security cameras."
The woman wrinkled her nose as she glanced up at the scientist. "Why?"
"Look closely at ze rain."
The woman squinted at the screen, and she finally snapped her manicured fingers. "It's moving. This is one of the brats, isn't it?"
"Colby Walker," Zerek confirmed. "Ve have been keeping a close eye on ze elemental children for months, but zis proves zat ve have less time zan I zot."
"Why does this prove that?"
"He's only just realized he hosted ze element of vater, and he's already controlling it. Ve have to strike now."
"We can't strike now," the woman argued, rolling her eyes. "Look, Zerek. We can't just swoop in and scoop all the brats up and lock them away in your science fortress. We'll have all sorts of parties coming down on us—police, politicians, the parents of said children who have a flair for the dramatic..."
"I don't care about all of zat. If we do not move quickly, ve vill miss ze vindow. Ze elements cannot get too comfortable in zeir new hosts, or our plans are foiled."
"Your plans, you mean. I'm more interested in making sure our business ventures don't fall apart, and having the entirety of Ninjago Law Enforcement breathing down our necks is going to do just that."
"I von't let ze elements slip through my fingers."
The woman pushed herself to her feet, looking down her nose at the scientist. "I invested a lot of money into this company because you promised big things for Ninjago. I don't mind you targeting those brats, because quite frankly, I'm eager to see them get taken down a few notches. But you have to be careful, Zerek. Ninjago isn't like it used to be." The woman stood, excusing herself as she headed for the door.
"I do have big plans for Ninjago," the scientist said softly. "But to achieve zem, I need to get ze new elemental masters here."
"I thought you already had one."
"He does not have ze element," he sighed. "I hoped zat his visit home vould trigger somezing, but ze android has retained ze element of ice, from vat I can tell."
"I'll start brainstorming, all right, dear?" the woman cut in. "Just don't do anything rash until I come up with a plan." She pulled out her phone, turning to waggle her fingers at him patronizingly. "I'll keep in touch."
Zerek narrowed his eyes. "See zat you do, Ms. O'Keefe."
27
Julien looked through the various metal samples, trying to figure out which would be best to use in his prototype.
"You've already tried copper, I'm sure," the director of the mine mused. Julien sighed.
"Yes. It is one of the best conductors, but even with its high thermal and electrical conductivity, in the case of my project, it isn't quite durable enough."
"Ve have many different alloys zat are more sturdy, but zey are pricey."
"You can forward costs to ze Metal Inquisition and Robotics Institution." Agatha came to join Julien, and the Director looked up to see the badge hanging around her neck. His eyebrows rose.
"Ah, forgive me. I didn't realize you vorked for Zerek. Ve have his package ready—I assume he sent you to pick it up?"
Agatha blinked, but then she shrugged. "Ve can take it back vith us. I'll make sure he gets it."
The director nodded and left the room. Julien turned back to the samples, studying them carefully. "You were right about them having a high variety of metals. I have not even heard of most of these."
"Samples 4QR and 389I vould have ze highest rate of success, from my research," Agatha offered.
Julien nodded, but he was surprised when the phone in his pocket began to ring. He pulled it out and blinked as he saw the caller ID. He answered it with a frown. "Father? Is everything all right?"
"Hello, Julien. How are you?"
"I am well," Julien said. Agatha was looking at him quizzically, and he gave his girlfriend a shrug. "Did you need something?"
"I was just seeing if Theodynn called you yet."
"Theodynn? Why would he be calling me? I do not have an inter-realm communicator."
"He is in Ninjago, researching something he found in the Oni Realm. I told him to contact you because you would probably be more of an asset with your connection with the MIRI."
"Oh." Julien adjusted his glasses. "He has not called, but I suppose I will be prepared for it now. Is there anything else you needed?" There was no answer from the other side, and Julien frowned. "Father?"
"I...I also wanted to see how you were doing. The internship is going well?"
"Yes, everything is fine here. I am trying to make ground on my project before the end of the trimester in a week. It is not due until the end of the actual academic year, but if I can solve the current conundrum..."
"Do you need assistance? You know your mother and I would be willing to crowdsource solutions."
"Thank you, Father, but Agatha is assisting me. I believe together, we can crack the puzzle."
"Oh." Zane was quiet for a moment. "Well...if you ever need anything, you know you can call."
Julien frowned. "I know."
"Julien...you and Agatha. Is it true that...mentoring aside, are you..." Zane seemed to be struggling to form a collected sentence, and Julien flushed as he realized what his father had discovered.
"Yes. We are courting," Julien stammered.
"Ah." Zane went quiet, and Julien cleared his throat.
"I meant to tell you and mother, but it just never seemed like the right time."
"You can tell us anything, Julien." Zane's tone was hard to place. "Did you fear that we would be displeased by the revelation?"
"It was more a matter of being enveloped in my internship. It became difficult to remember to stay in touch," Julien tried, fiddling with his glasses and wishing the conversation could end. "Who told you that we were dating?"
"Theodynn, when he came to ask for my assistance," Zane admitted. Julien blinked in surprise. If Theodynn knew, then it was probably safe to assume that everyone did. The young scientist tried not to feel irritated. After all, he had already told Amber, Ashley, and the rest. He couldn't expect them all to keep it secret forever. His father continued, his tone as no-nonsense as ever. "I was surprised to find that Agatha was more than a mentor, considering that she is several years your senior."
Julien scowled, his grip on the phone tightening. "It is true—she is six years older," he admitted. "But considering that you were built decades before Mother..."
"It is not quite the same thing," Zane tried, and Julien sighed.
"You are right," he said, his voice gaining a slight edge. "It is not." His father went quiet once again, and Julien adjusted his glasses. "Father, I need to go."
"Of course. Julien... you can come to us about anything. We want to keep in touch, and not just about your schooling."
"I will try to keep in contact," he promised quietly. "Goodbye." He hung up the phone, staring down at it for a little while after the connection ended.
"Zat vas your fazer?" Agatha asked, coming over.
"Yes."
"From vat I've seen, you have a very...logic-based relationship," Agatha mused.
Julien sighed. "Let us go see if we can find the director and get that package for Dr. Zerek, and perhaps a sample of 4QR that I can take back to the lab."
Pippa stared at the ceiling of her room as sunlight crept across the floor. Usually, she left her room the moment she woke and only came back to sleep, but today she didn't even feel like rolling off her bed-mat.
The door handle twisted, and Pippa closed her eyes. If she was sleeping, the person would have to leave.
"Pippa."
She threw in a slight snore, hoping that her uncle would buy it. However, as she heard him coming closer, she knew it didn't work.
"Pip, I know you aren't asleep," Hershel said gently. "Open your eyes."
She kept them closed stubbornly for another minute, but when she felt him touching the bandages around her arms, she lurched away. "Don't touch them!" she snapped, her eyes opening at last.
"The bandages need to be changed," Hershel said gently, and she realized he had a basket with healer's equipment with him. Pippa scowled, but tears pricked her eyes. Here he was, acting like her tattoos were a normal wound she had somehow inflicted upon herself that he needed to help heal. For the first time, Pippa wished she actually could sense people's emotions, because she was desperate to know how he felt. Was he angry? Sad? He looked fine, but she knew all too well how good her uncle was at hiding what he was feeling.
"Just leave me alone!" she snapped. Hershel sighed, but he didn't say anything else as he reached out and grabbed her arm. Pippa resisted for a moment, but she finally gave up and allowed him to gently pull the bandages from her arm. For the next little while, the healer gently dabbed at the raw skin and excess ink before wrapping the arm in fresh bandages.
The silence stretched on, and the tears in Pippa's eyes finally escaped. "Are you mad?" she demanded.
"No." Hershel tied off the bandage, and he moved to the other arm. Pippa's expression darkened.
"Yes, you are," she accused. "Everyone's mad—Mom cried when she found out about my tattoos, and Dad was yelling at everybody. You have to be mad."
"I'm not angry."
"Just because you're good at hiding it doesn't mean that you aren't feeling it!" Pippa shouted, pulling her other arm away. The movement ripped away the bandage painfully, and she winced.
"Pippa..."
"I can do it myself!" she snapped, wiping at the tears running down her face. "I'm a healer."
Hershel hesitated, but he finally leaned back and passed the basket over to her. However, he made no move to leave, forcing Pippa to work in front of him. She swallowed as she pulled at the bandages, trying not to flinch from the pain. Hershel was quiet as he watched her carefully, and Pip's hands began shaking as she tried to guess what his expression meant. Was he judging her methods? Was he secretly thinking that she was doing it all wrong? Did he not believe she would make a good healer?
After Pippa finished cleaning the tattoo, she studied the inky band on her swollen skin. Despite how painful the experience had been, she was glad to see that Teag's stupid friend had at least done a good job. Of course, she couldn't even look at the healer's bands without guilt eating her from within. The longer she stared at them, the harder she cried.
"Are they painful?" Hershel asked at last, digging into the basket. "I brought..."
"Stop it!" she shouted as she cried. "Stop making it seem like this isn't a big deal!" She chucked the dirty bandages onto the floor of her room. "I snuck out and got tattoos because you wouldn't give them to me, and you don't even care!"
"I didn't say I didn't care."
"But you're acting like it!" Pippa accused. She made no move to cover up the second tattoo, so Hershel wrapped it as she cried. "They're my apprentice bands...because you said I'm your apprentice, but you don't treat me any different than everyone else that you're teaching."
"You are my apprentice," Hershel agreed quietly.
"Then why don't you act like I am?"
"You're going to be a healer someday, right?" Hershel prompted. "You're apprenticed to me so that you can learn the healer's art...and you are my only apprentice." He tied off the bandage. "Everyone else I teach is only to help them learn how to control their powers, just like when I helped your father."
"Teag said you taught them healing stuff too!" Pippa accused.
"Just basic things that everyone should know," Hershel countered. "I haven't taught anyone as extensively as I've taught you."
"You haven't even taught me at all for a week! You forgot about me."
Hershel's expression became pained at last, and Pippa didn't know whether to feel guilty or victorious. "I'm sorry that I haven't been around, but you can't say that I don't care about you just because I haven't had time to spend this week."
"If you don't want me to feel like that—"
"Pippa." Hershel grabbed her shoulders gently, staring at her intently. "You are infinitely important to me...but I can't make you the only important thing in my life. You're old enough now that it's unfair of you to expect that." Pippa's words died in her throat, and she realized that her uncle's eyes were full of tears as he continued. "You know why I never gave you apprentice tattoos—it has nothing to do with how much I care about you."
"But I wanted them!"
"I healed the tattoos that you got last, remember? Because I can't bear for you to be branded with something that you might not want to—"
"Because Imgloss gave those tattoos to me!" Pippa argued. "I didn't want them when he's the one who did it...but now I'm your apprentice, and I needed the tattoos to prove it!"
"You don't need to prove—"
"No one else thinks I'm your apprentice! They don't think I'm anything!" Her voice echoed around the room as she yelled, burying her face in her hands. "If I don't have tattoos, then I'm just some crazy girl with a healer uncle who teaches me sometimes!"
She curled up on herself as she cried, and she felt her Uncle's arms wrap around her as he pulled her close. Pippa waited for him to say something, but it seemed that neither of them could think of anything else to say.
Eventually, Pippa stopped crying, but she felt all rung out. She pulled away from her uncle to plop back onto her bed-mat. Hershel reached out to push her frizzy hair from her face.
"Well, you have the tattoos now, and there's nothing anybody can do about it, so we may as well move on," he said at last. "I'll be at the fortress for the next few weeks, while we figure things out. We'll pick up on your training tomorrow...if your arms are feeling up to it."
Pippa closed her eyes, not responding. She waited for Hershel to continue to coax her into a response, but instead, her uncle stood and left the room.
Amber came back into the room wrapped in a bathrobe over her pajamas. It was midday, but after showering, she hadn't bothered to get into real clothing. She pushed her wet hair out of her face, glad that it was no longer crispy and stiff. The caked-on makeup was gone as well, and she felt both raw and relieved after scrubbing down.
"Cup of tea?" Lou called from the kitchen.
"Sure," Amber replied, going back to the couch to plop down and pull her feet up. She leaned back on the sofa, staring at her grandfather's phonograph while she listened to Theo talk on the phone on the wall.
"I'd have to bring the samples," Theo was saying to whoever was on the other end of the phone. "Would it be possible for me to pay a visit?" He went quiet as whoever was talking to him presumably answered, and then he sighed. "I see. It's just I was only planning on staying here this weekend, and the academic break is still a week away." More listening. "All right, maybe I can come back," Theo conceded. "Thanks for your time, Julien. I'll keep in touch."
Amber frowned as she turned and watched her brother hang up. "Julien? As in Julien Cyrus?"
"Um, yeah. I just need his help with a project."
"What samples are you bringing him?"
"Just some weird metal I found in the Oni realm. I'm wondering if we could use it."
"Really? What kind of metal?" Amber demanded as he came over to join her on the couch. "Where did you find it?"
"Out in the desert," he offered with a shrug. "Who knows...maybe it's an old, weathered soda can the Ninja brought on one of their visits."
Amber narrowed her eyes, but her brother was masking his feelings. "Theo, what are you up to?"
"I'm just trying to make the realm better," Theo offered, the wall around his emotions coming down slightly as he looked at her. "I want to start making a real difference in the realm, however I can." He sighed, pushing his hair out of his face. "I need a haircut," he mused. "Wonder if the twins would be willing."
"They probably would," Amber mused. "Though, things are a little strained with Jay and Nya's family right now."
Theo looked over in surprise. "Really?"
"Remember how I told you about Colby unlocking his powers and moving in with Lloyd?"
"Sure—you said he's the master of water now."
"Yesterday when the twins were getting me dressed up and taking pictures they started fighting and it sounds like the reason Colby moved out was because Mia's angry about him getting the powers."
"Well...that's awkward," Theo offered as he leaned back on the couch and studied her. "Speaking of the dance, what exactly happened last night, Amber?"
Amber looked away, her face flushing with shame. She wished she didn't have to talk about it, but she could tell how concerned her brother was. If she didn't tell him the truth, he was going to start jumping to the worst possible conclusions.
"I went to the dance with Patrick because we're friends," she offered as she sank further into the couch. "But by the end of the night, it was clear that he wanted to be more than just friends."
Theo stiffened, and Amber felt a wave of anger come off of her brother. "What did he do?" he demanded.
"Nothing!" Amber assured, throwing her hands up. "Theo, Patrick was a perfect gentleman, I swear. He just confessed that he really likes me, and asked if we could start dating..." she trailed off, tears stinging her eyes as she remembered how sad he had felt on the car ride home. "I had to tell him I'm not interested," she managed at last. "It was humiliating."
"Was he angry? Did he yell at you?" Her brother was so on edge—even more than usual, and Amber reached out to grab his hand.
"He was totally understanding, but that made it worse," Amber admitted. "Because even though he said it was okay, I could feel how devastated he was." She sighed, wiping at the tears that were threatening to fall. "I wish that nobody liked me like that! Life would be so much easier if they all just left me alone."
"All?"
Amber flushed. She still didn't dare tell Theo about M. She wouldn't put it past her brother to go yell at her friend, or worse. As furious and mortified as she was about the youngest Openheimer's behavior, she didn't necessarily want him to get pummeled. "It just made me realize that maybe there are other people who like me too, people that I didn't expect to."
"Like M?" her brother guessed. Amber turned in surprised, and Theo blinked at her expression. "Why are you so shocked? It's been obvious that he's had a thing for you for as long as I've known him. When you guys never started dating, I assumed that you had turned him down."
"You thought I turned him down?"
"Didn't you? I never could tell if you had a thing for him in return—you never acted like you did." He pointed out. Rather than answer, Amber buried her face in her hands. She felt Theo move closer. "Wait...do you like M. then, or not?"
"I don't know!" she admitted. "He's such an idiot...and I don't have time to worry about relationships! I just need to focus on the things I can control!"
"I relate to that," her brother assured gently. Amber didn't look up, but she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. They continued to sit like that until Lou brought in their tea, and then there was a rustle from the front door as someone shoved the post through the mail slot.
"I'll get the mail, you lot can get started on the tea," Lou offered, and Amber finally sat up and opened her eyes so she could grab one of the steaming tea cups. Theo grabbed one as well, and both his expression and emotions were pensive as he stared down at it.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Amber asked, wiping the last of the tears from her face. Theo sighed, not looking away from the tea.
"Just jet-lagged," he offered before taking a sip of his tea.
"Still? It should have worn off by now, but you have huge circles under your eyes." Amber pointed out. Theo shrugged.
"Oh my," Lou said from the front door. Amber looked up to see him studying his Dancers Weekly magazine with a frown.
"What is it?" Amber asked, eager for her grandfather to change the subject with his usual quips about the silly fashions of modern dancers or the different mischief various celebrities were getting into. Lou glanced up, and Amber was surprised by the grim expression he gave her.
"I think we're going to have to make a call to the printing company."