106
Perhaps it was waking up in the hospital without any memory of what had happened to land her there...or perhaps it was the fact that no one would answer her questions. Whatever the reason, Agatha had an overwhelming sense of dread that would not go away, no matter how many people assured her that she was through the hardest part of the process and officially on the mend now.
"But vhere vas I zat I vould have contracted a snakebite?" Agatha demanded again as a nurse helped fluff her pillows. The young scientist was exhausted to the point where it was hard to move—apparently she had been battling kidney failure for the last few days, but a mix of antivenom and flushing her body with fluids seemed to have pushed her through it. She was grateful for the health care she had been given, but frustrated that no one would give her a direct answer to her questions.
"Your immune system is still veak," the nurse prompted. "For now, just rest. Zere vill be time to discuss specifics later."
"It does not make sense," Agatha demanded, fighting back tears. "I cannot remember going anyvere zat vould varrant a snake attack. In fact I...I am having a hard time remembering in general." Flashes of memories came and went, but they were jumbled, like a mixed-up puzzle. Since waking, she had tried to piece everything together, but it was difficult. Her long-term memory seemed to be intact—she seemed to remember everything up until a few weeks ago. After that point, things became patchy and weak. It was like trying to read a newspaper that someone had lit on fire in several places. Names and faces would come to mind, but Agatha struggled to know their significance.
"Do not fret," the nurse assured, finishing fluffing the pillows and coaxing Agatha back into a laying position. "It is normal to struggle remembering after traumatic events. Things will sort themselves back out in time."
Agatha did not feel very comforted as the nurse left the room, and the scientist looked down at her arm. It was connected to various tubes, and she could see two pricks on her forearm. This was the place where she had apparently been attacked by a Metallonian Rock Viper, and though her arm ached, there was absolutely nothing in her memory connected to snakes.
Time passed, and Agatha drifted off into a fitful sleep full of nightmares she didn't understand. When she came to, she realized there was a man seated in the room with her. She relaxed as she smiled at Odin Axel.
"Dad."
The greying man looked up from his book of word puzzles, and his thick beard twitched as he smiled. "Aggie. I am so relieved you are all right." He reached out to grab her hand, and Agatha's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"But I am not all right..."
"Ze doctors said zey believe you vill make a full recovery. You fought through ze vorst of it, and your body has come out ze ozer side."
"But vie is zere so much fear inside?" Agatha demanded. She didn't consider herself someone who scared easily, or who got out of sorts for minor things. But ever since she had come to in this hospital room, a horrible weight had settled over her. "I can't help but feel like I need to remember somezing very important," she explained as her father scooted closer.
"Ze nurses mentioned zat you are having a hard time remembering," her father realized as he reached out to smooth back her blonde hair with a calloused hand. "I promise, you are safe here, and zings are going to be all right."
"I feel like zere is somezing you are not telling me," Agatha pointed out, studying his face. Odin's expression flickered, and Agatha's gaze sharpened. "Dad..."
"Zere vill be time to discuss all of zat—"
"No! Tell me now. Vat happened? How vas I bitten by a snake? Vie is everyone acting like somezing terrible is going on?"
"It vas all just an accident, I'm sure," Odin murmured as he finally relented. "You vere out exploring vith a group of students from Ninjago, and you must have gotten lost in ze Vildlands. You vere found out zere a few days ago, dying." His eyes swam with sudden tears. "Ve vere not sure you vould make it, at first."
"Exploring?" Agatha shook her head. "Vie on earth vould I have gone exploring in ze vildlands? Everyone in Metallonia is taught not to go off on our own in such a dangerous area—"
"Zey are vondering if you and Julien perhaps vent after ze ozers, ven you realized zeir intentions to run off into ze vilds of Metallonia," Odin offered.
"Julien?" Agatha's expression crinkled in confusion. Odin scanned her face, his expression pained.
"Your boyfriend, from ze MIRI?" he prompted.
"Ze MIRI..." A face flashed to mind, and Agatha finally managed to latch onto it. A pale young man with glasses and a goatee, smiling up at her as they worked on screwing circuits together. "J.C." Agatha murmured, feeling both relief and worry as she remembered the young man. Or at least...bits about him. It was as if the past few months were actually a book she had once read, or a movie that she had once seen, and she was only able to recall a few important scenes. Working with Julien at the MIRI...a trip to Ninjago. Something else that they had been working on recently...right? Something important? But what was it?
"Are you hungry? I can go see about ordering dinner."
At her father's attempts to change the subject, Agatha was brought back to their conversation. She locked eyes with him again, her grip tightening on his. "Vere is Julien?"
"He..." Her father trailed off before standing abruptly. "I shall see if zey have any potato soup. I know how much you love potato soup."
"Dad!" Agatha snapped, but Odin had already left the room, leaving Agatha to wonder what horrible fate had befallen the young man from her memories.
It was the first time in a long time Theo could remember sleeping without having nightmares or stress dreams, which made it difficult for him to want to wake up. However, the fact that his grandfather brought in a steaming cup of tea did help him shake the grogginess as he tried to remember what the plan was.
"Were you able to call a cab?" Theo asked as he sipped the tea. "Dad said he would pay you back."
"I may be old, but I can still drive," Lou cut in with a soft smile. "I was planning on taking you to the train station myself."
"Papa Lou..."
"I insist," his grandfather said, shaking a finger at him. "It is bad enough that I can't come join in the search myself. At least let me help where I can, Theodynn."
Theo relented, nodding once as he finished his tea. Then he stood up, handing his grandfather the cup so he could stretch. "Did Tolan get any sleep, or did he stand guard the entire time?"
"Not a wink," Lou confirmed. "The young lady was sleeping the last I checked on her, though. Seems she was just as exhausted as you."
Theo nodded, but he felt the familiar twist as he thought about Rook. Should he have brought a criminal into his grandfather's home? Deep, deep down, Theo wanted to believe that she was earnest about her desire to help and turn over a new leaf. But isn't that what had gotten him into so much trouble in the past? Believing whatever people told him, just because he wanted to believe the best in them?
"You know...she reminds me of your mother."
Theo turned in surprise, pulled from his thoughts. "What?"
"Your associate," Lou explained, raising an eyebrow. "She reminds me of when I first met Keyda."
"She's nothing like Mom," Theo argued.
"She's got the same look in her eye," Lou mused, stroking his mustache. "Like she feels cornered." Theo wasn't sure what to say to that, and his grandfather smiled kindly. "Your mother is different now than she used to be, Theodynn. That very first time she came to Ninjago, back when your father's team had to defeat Garmadon, she was a little more...rough around the edges."
Theo folded his arms. "How so?"
"Well, she didn't have the confidence she has now. She was a little more...jumpy, I suppose. She looked at everyone like she thought they were moments from stabbing her in the back." Lou chuckled sadly. "Having heard more about her background over the years, it's no wonder why."
Theo didn't reply. He turned and tugged the blankets back into place on the bed, and Lou reached out to touch his arm.
"Don't worry about that, Theo. I'll take care of it later."
"When did she get better? Mom, I mean?" Theo blurted. Lou blinked in surprise but then frowned in thought.
"It took a little while. Part of it was that she wasn't always that comfortable in Ninjago. If I'm being honest, I wonder how comfortable she feels even now. There are a lot of stares...but I suppose that's something your whole family has had to get used to. Plus, from what I understand, there was a lot of trust to build."
"I guess," Theo murmured. After another few seconds he shook away the thoughts on his mind—his main focus needed to be getting to Metallonia and finding the Buyer and Amber once and for all. He swallowed as he thought about his sister. He had seen Amber hold her own in a multitude of situations, and he prayed that she was holding her own now. I'm coming Ams.
He left the room and caught sight of Tolan in the hall. He gave his bodyguard a nod before glancing at the other bedroom door.
"Is Rook still asleep?"
"I can give her a wake-up call," Tolan pointed out.
Theo shook his head. "I got it," he sighed as he pushed his way into his grandfather's room. It was dimly lit, considering that there were large drapes over the windows. Theo caught sight of Rook sleeping on the bed, curled up on top of the blankets on the edge of the mattress as if she wanted to be ready to jump out of bed at any second.
"Rook." He kept his voice soft, not wanting to launch her into attack-mode, but she didn't seem to hear. Theo took a step closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "Rook."
The young woman inhaled sharply, her whole body flinching. Theo drew back his hand as she looked up at him, and he recognized a glimmer of fear in her gaze before she recognized him. She sighed heavily as she relaxed, wiping at her face. "Time to go?" she muttered.
"Yeah."
Rook nodded once before jumping out of bed, smoothing out her clothes before heading to the door. "All right. Let's do this, Princey."
M wasn't sure whether they were making his cell colder or if it was just him, but he shivered as he leaned against the wall. His mouth tasted awful, and each time he woke up, he felt more detached than ever from time. Had he been passed out on the ground for a few minutes? Hours? How long had passed since they had last brought him something to drink? They hadn't brought food in so long, but he hoped that them bringing water meant that they didn't necessarily want him dead. Then again, there was no way to know. Zerek didn't really seem like he cared whether M lived or died.
He buried his face into his knees, his head pounding with a headache. He could have tried to stand up and go over to his cot, but even doing that seemed tiring. Besides, every time he stood, his vision dotted, and based on the number of times he had woken up aching on the floor, he knew he had passed out a couple times.
M. took a deep breath, trying to calm the panic that ate at him as much as his forced state of starvation. The good guys were going to find him, and Amber, and the rest. They would...they had to. He had no doubt that Amber's whole family was looking, not to mention her heroic extended family. With the number of times they had saved the whole realm, they could save them. Right?
Why do I keep smelling coffee? He wondered, feeling a flash of irritation. Was he hallucinating? Did people hallucinate when they were starving to death? Was he dying? His heart galloped in his chest, and he kept his eyes closed. Maybe he could just go back to sleep, and wake up in the hospital after being rescued.
But what if every time you go to sleep, it just brings you closer to not waking up at all?
He dug his fingers into his hair, trying to force the morbid thoughts from his mind. It was proving difficult, however. Hour after hour passed in this cell, with nothing changing and nothing to do...the same blank walls staring at him. Maybe it wasn't even hours. Maybe it was minutes. Maybe it was days.
The door opened, but M was only half-aware of it as his head was rested on his knees. However, the sound of footsteps helped him connect with the present enough that he lifted his head. It was the lead scientist—the Zerek dude. The king robot. M tried to glare, but he was tired. The best he could really muster was an unamused stare, and the robot eyed him coldly from where he was standing a few feet away. There was a glass of water in one hand, and M finally glanced at it, his mind begging him to try and get it away from Zerek. In his mind's eye, he pictured him taking down the robot and successfully stealing the water...but in reality, he doubted his ability to even stand up without dropping right back down to the ground.
"Is that for me or not?" he finally demanded, his voice creaking. He kept glancing at the water, desperate for something to quench the horrible thirst and maybe even get rid of this terrible taste in his mouth.
"You are fading faster zan I zot you vould," Zerek mused, still staring at him with his unblinking gaze.
Sociopathic creep.
"Are you going to give me the water or not?" M. demanded, his voice gaining power.
"You're in luck," the android mused. "Ms. Axel has finally voken up."
"What is that supposed to mean?" The anger was getting stronger...enough so that M. wondered if he would be strong enough to fight Zerek for the glass of water after all.
Zerek lowered the glass to the ground and then stepped back a few steps. M. watched with a pinched expression before looking at the abandoned drink of water. He finally moved forward to grab it, wondering why the scientist didn't just hand it to him. Maybe he can tell how badly I want to beat him, he thought with a scowl, but his anger faded somewhat as his hand clamped on the cold glass.
The scientist continued to watch M as he greedily drained the cup. It was gone so soon, and M. wondered if it was even worth it to beg for more. It had only been half full to begin with—even when they gave him something to drink, it was never much, and he knew from past experience that they wouldn't bring him anymore no matter how much he asked.
"I do zink your fate vill be decided soon," Zerek continued. "If Amber has done her job correctly, you vill find yourself in a better situation. If not..." The robot shrugged, and M. felt his blood run cold.
"What do you mean? What did you make Amber do?" he demanded. Zerek didn't answer, turning to leave the room. M shook with a sudden burst of adrenaline, and before he could think better about it, he chucked the glass in his hand as hard as he could.
It fell short of the robot by a good couple inches, shattering on the ground by Zerek's feet. The robot turned and studied the carnage before looking up to meet M's eye. M felt frozen in his stare, and he clenched his jaw to keep himself from looking away. The throw was pitiful, and he blamed it on the fact that he didn't have much strength. However, he wasn't sure if the robot was judging his athletic ability or calculating a response to the obvious attempt at an attack. After what seemed like far too long, Zerek smiled thinly.
"Seventeen...escort Mr. Openheimer into a different cell."
The door opened, and one of the sunglassed brutes came in. M. stiffened, but he couldn't really do much to fight back as he was practically scooped up off the floor.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Zis cell has broken glass," Zerek offered simply, gesturing to the glinting shards at his feet as he kept his gaze trained on M. "I vouldn't vant you to...hurt yourself."
M frowned, but then the large man was dragging him toward the hallway. Zerek's voice called after them as he addressed his staff member again.
"Put him somevere down ze hall...and I zink it vould be best if ze location vas not disclosed to my ever-concerned business partner. Let all staff be instructed zat she no longer has clearance for such classified information."
"What are you even talking about?" M demanded as he weakly fought back against his captor.
"Sleep vell, Mr. Openheimer...evening is upon us, and I do believe zat your fate vill be decided tomorrow. For better or for vorse."
107
Rook had been dedicated to her new persona—someone serious, professional, and honest. Basically, the opposite of the flighty and flirty Rook who had spent so long lying to Theodynn and herself. It had been easy to be serious in a prison cell, and she thought she had managed to be pretty professional during the whole ordeal of getting her mind read. But the second she stepped out of the elderly man's dwelling and she got a glimpse of this new realm, her serious, subdued side began to slip.
"What are those?" she demanded, gaping at the forms in the distance. "Mountains? Formations? What are all those lights? Did someone cover them with fires, or..."
"Those are buildings," Theodynn pointed out, glancing over at the looming structures glittering with light in the distance. "Those lights are just the lights inside the buildings coming through the windows."
"How on earth did you make buildings that tall?"
The elderly man chuckled as he led them down a path leading away from his dwelling. "I forget that most Oni have never seen cities like those in Ninjago before," he pointed out as he smiled kindly at her. "Nor have you probably seen one of these." He gestured to something squatting on a large black path in front of the house, and Rook frowned.
"What is it?"
"A car," Theo said, and she watched him pull the side of the contraption open, like a door of sorts. "You can ride in it."
"How?" Rook demanded, glancing in front of it. "There's no hoofer, or anything."
"There is a lot about Ninjago that will probably take some getting used to," Theo pointed out, but Rook didn't miss the smile tugging at the side of his mouth. "But we don't have time to stand gawking at all of it. We have to get to Metallonia."
Rook blinked, and then realized that he intended for her to climb into the strange, wheeled object. She did so, marveling at how comfortable the seating was. Tolan followed her, and Theo climbed into the seat in the front of the car. The Elderly Man soon entered across from Theo, and Rook jumped as the car roared to life. Tolan must have seen her flinch because he smirked.
"Don't worry, it's not alive," he muttered gruffly as he leaned back with his arms folded. It bothered Rook that he seemed to take all of these amazing things in stride, but then again, he probably had been here before. She kept herself from reacting as the car began moving, traveling down the black path in front of them far smoother than any hoofer-pulled-cart in her realm ever could have.
For a few minutes, Rook remembered that she was supposed to be acting professional, and subtly tried to mimic Tolan's serious air as she leaned back on her own chair. You are on a mission, she reminded herself. This isn't like when you worked for Quazier, where you could toy with people and act like you didn't have a care in the world. This is serious. Your reputation is at stake...or what's left of it.
She managed to stay calm and stoic the entire ride, not gaping at the other cars that passed by her with eyes full of light and passengers traveling inside like bugs trapped in a glass. Eventually, the car stopped moving, and she realized everyone was getting out.
"Please call me once you make it to Metallonia," the elderly man was asking. "I would jump on this train in a moment, if I didn't think I would be more hindrance than help."
"You could never be a hindrance, Papa Lou."
"I'm old, and not as mobile as I used to be," the man sighed. "I would more than likely get stuck in some hotel room and then your parents would feel like they had to check up on me and take care of me, instead of focusing on finding Amber and the others you are looking for."
"Thanks for the ride," Theo said, and Rook watched as he wrapped the older man in an embrace. The man hugged him back, but didn't linger long.
"You've got about ten minutes or so before your train leaves. Better hurry up and make sure you catch the right one."
"I'll call when we get there," Theodynn promised, and then Tolan was half-guiding, half-pushing Rook as the three of them made their way into a large building.
"So...what is this place, exactly?" Rook demanded, taking in the high ceilings and fancy art lining the walls. She stopped walking so she could gawk at the lights suspended from the ceilings. "Do people light all these candles every night? How do they get them to stay lit when they're in those glass balls?"
"They aren't candles, they're lightbulbs," Theo sighed.
"Move your feet," Tolan added, and Rook shot him an irritated look as he gave her another push forward.
She didn't snap at him, though she was tempted, and she tried to keep her comments to herself from then on. She followed Theodynn as they talked to a woman about something called tickets, and then they headed down a steep staircase to an underground tunnel. Rook stopped when she got about halfway down. "Where are we going?" She tried to keep her tone light, but she couldn't stop her hands from trembling slightly as she stared down at the dimly lit corridor they were heading toward. A screeching sound echoed up to her, and it was everything she could do to keep from turning and bolting in the opposite direction.
"We've got to...oh." Theo stopped mid-explanation, and Rook flushed as his expression dawned with understanding. He climbed up a few stairs to reach her. "It's a very stable tunnel, Rook, and we won't be down here long. The train will take us through the tunnels and then back outside.
"What exactly is a train? Some sort of...tortured animal?" Rook shuddered as the echoing screeching finally stopped.
"No." Theo smiled a little and extended his hand. "It's a little like a car. Come see."
Rook glanced at the hand before excepting it. She wasn't sure if Theo had really meant to offer it to her or just did it out of habit, but she didn't give him a chance to revoke the offer. She tried not to squeeze too tightly as they began descending again—she was a serious professional now, after all. It wouldn't do her image any good if she was obviously afraid.
The train turned out to not be any kind of animal, but she also thought it was nothing like a car. It was made of metal, sure, but there were no wheels. It was like a great metal worm, with doors that slid open to allow people to go in and out. Whether or not it was actually alive, Rook couldn't help but feel like she was being swallowed by a creaking beast as they stepped on.
The seats were strange, hunched in groups of four all along the interior. Rook frowned, but she allowed Theo to bring her down to an empty set. Theo sat down first, and Rook went to sit next to him. However, a hand clamped on her shoulder, and she looked over to see Tolan raising an eyebrow. She narrowed her eyes, but took the hint. Rook released Theo's hand at last, sliding into the chair facing him so Tolan could take the seat directly next to him. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, with Theo checking the small slips of parchment they had obtained from the woman inside.
"So...what now?" Rook asked. She had tried to be patient, but the longer they sat in this metal worm in this tunnel underground...
"The train will leave soon," Theo promised, glancing up at her. She nodded in reply, and they went back to waiting. All of a sudden, a horrible noise echoed around them, and Rook and Tolan both jumped a foot in the air. Rook saw the bodyguard reach for the sword on his hip, but Theo laughed outright.
"It's just the train horn," he assured, reaching out to stop Tolan. "It means we're finally going to be moving now. Try to keep that sheathed, Tol. Diplomatic immunity or not, pulling weapons out on public transport isn't going to win us points with the council."
Tolan huffed, and Rook was glad that she wasn't the only one making a fool of herself in this weird place. Her thoughts faded as the train suddenly lurched into motion, causing Rook's heart to jump into her throat. She looked out the window, and the dimly lit tunnel passed into darkness. For a few terrifying minutes, the world outside was black as pitch, but then the train rocketed out into an evening landscape. Rook relaxed as she stared out at the moonlit fields, and she couldn't help but lean forward in awe.
"This place is beautiful," she realized, looking at the waving grasses and flowers as they whipped past. "How fast are we moving? This has to be faster than a hoofer!"
"Trains are a lot faster than hoofers," Theo agreed. "Faster than cars, too. That's why we're taking this way to Metallonia."
Rook processed that, but a woman with yellow skin and eyes like Theodynn's had already approached. The lady looked surprised as she stared at the three figures staring back at her, but then she smiled. "Tickets, please."
Theodynn handed her the papers, and she used some sort of contraption to punch holes in them. Rook was honestly confused by the whole exchange, but she didn't miss the way the woman was staring at Theo. After handing back the papers, she blurted, "You're that Oni, right?"
Theo smiled a little. "Yes, we're Oni."
"But you're the one from the news a few years ago—the son of one of the Ninja? Let's see..." the woman tapped her chin. "The Earth Ninja, right? You're his son?"
Theo leaned forward. "Yeah, that's me."
"Wow! And you're right here, on this train...what are the odds?" The woman beamed. "It's like meeting a celebrity. Does your father still work with the other Ninja? I haven't really seen them in the news much in the past years. Not like when I was growing up."
"Dad spends most of his time in the Oni realm," Theo explained. "But we still see the others sometimes. Mainly just to catch up, though. They don't do a lot of their...ninja-ing anymore."
"Gosh, I suppose they're older than I am, and I'm no spring chicken anymore." The woman laughed. "It's just hard to picture them anything other than how they looked in their posters and movies and whatnot." She glanced around, her voice dropping. "When I was younger, I had quite the crush on that fire ninja."
Theo chuckled, and the woman pointed a finger at him.
"Don't tell him I said so. Not that he would have any idea who I am...just one of many adoring fans." The woman shook her head, her expression misty with nostalgia. "The Ninja...if that doesn't just take me back to watching their heroics on T.V. Ninjago City was such a mess more often than not, but getting to watch the Ninja in action was exciting in its own right. Bless, it's been so long since they were on the news. I think the last time they were was when..." She trailed off, her gaze clearing as she stared at Theo. The silence felt awkward, though Rook wasn't really sure why. After a moment, the woman cleared her throat. "Awful, what happened all those years ago. The way you and your family were treated..." she tutted softly. "Not all of Ninjago thought like that awful woman, mind. There were still plenty of us who remembered all the good that your father and the others did for this realm."
"It's all right," Theo offered, though his expression had clouded. The woman huffed.
"I still don't know how she got off scott free. After locking you in her basement and burning down the building on top of you...how is she not rotting in prison?"
Rook leaned forward in interest, glancing back at Theo. His smile was gone, and she realized he looked angry now.
"That was you, wasn't it?" the woman asked. "Or did the earth ninja have another Oni son..."
"That was me," Theo admitted. Rook wondered if he was angry at the gossiping woman, but then he glanced up to offer a tight smile. "The important thing is there are protections in place now for us Oni."
"I suppose that's true. Still, in my opinion, it never should have happened." The woman finally glanced over at Rook and Tolan before looking back to Theo. "Well, enjoy your visit to Ninjago. Or, I suppose you're headed to Metallonia right now." Her gaze flicked back to Tolan, and Rook realized that the woman had caught sight of the weapon. Tolan stared back, as if daring her to say something. The woman finally forced a smile. "Here's hoping this trip is safer than your last."
"Thanks," Theo murmured, and she finally moved on to demand the slips of paper from other people riding the train. Rook watched her go, and then she turned her attention to Theo once again.
"What was she talking about?"
He shrugged. "Just something that happened a few years ago."
"Did someone seriously lock you up and try to burn the building down on top of you?"
Theo's expression flickered, and he finally exhaled slowly. "It...wasn't a great time."
Rook whistled low. "Geez...so this is the barbaric realm that's given you all your trauma." She glanced back out the window, studying the beautiful landscape with new wariness.
"It was honestly the only bad experience I've had in Ninjago," Theo argued. "Well...apart from the staring...and the occasional comment..." he shook his head as if to clear his head. "What I'm saying is that my run in with Matilda O'Keefe was the only really traumatic thing that's happened to me here."
"Matilda..." Rook murmured. "I think you've talked about her before. Who exactly is she?"
"Someone I should have been around to run my sword through three years ago," Tolan muttered. Theo shot his bodyguard a look before answering.
"She was...probably still is...a business woman. She targeted my family as a way to put herself in power. She tried to use this realm's hatred of Oni to—"
"This realm hates Oni?" Rook demanded.
"Not everybody," Theo corrected with a wince. "She just used the fact that we were different to try to make us out to be the enemy. She held me hostage in an effort to make my family—mainly my mother and sister—act out violently and discredit Oni as barbaric people."
"She burned down a building in an effort to kill you...and she wanted people to think you're the barbaric one?" Rook leaned back in her chair. "No offense, but you're probably the least barbaric person I know."
Theo smirked a little. "No offense? Am I supposed to be offended by being ranked as unbarbaric?"
Rook wanted to smile back—to joke with him like they used to. But then she remembered that things weren't like they used to be. Her smile faded as she turned back to the window, watching the world blur past. "Theodynn...I wanted to ask about that thing you do."
"Which thing?"
"The um. The thing you do with that power you have."
He frowned. "You'll have to be more specific."
Rook sighed and glanced back. "The thing you did to get us all here in this realm...where you use your power to move us from one place to another. It's the same thing you did when you let me out of prison."
"You mean transporting?"
"If that's what you call it." Rook shifted in her seat. "Trains and cars are fast, obviously...but I think appearing somewhere in a blink of an eye is faster. Why not just transport us to wherever it is we're going?"
Theo pushed a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple..."
"It seems simple."
"You can't just go anywhere. Oni power is driven by emotion, and you can only latch onto a place to transport if you've got some kind of emotional connection to it. I've never been to Metallonia—I have no way to transport there."
"But you transported to the Deep Southern Ravine, when you let me go," Rook argued. "You had only been there once before, what emotional connection could you possibly..." she trailed off as Theo raised an eyebrow in a clear are you serious? expression. Flushing, Rook cleared her throat as she tried to recover. "Right. So...it can be a negative emotional connection that helps you transport. But you don't have a positive or negative connection to wherever we're going...and that's why you can't do it?"
"Yeah." Theo shifted. "Not to mention...it's actually exhausting. Especially when you have to take multiple people."
"That explains why you passed out at that man's house earlier today," Rook mused.
"That was my grandfather's house, and you slept just as long," Theo argued. "What's your excuse?"
"Just trying to build my stamina. I wanted to be prepared for whatever it is we're heading into." Rook pushed hair out of her face. "What exactly are we heading toward?"
"A country called Metallonia," Theodynn answered. "I've...never been there before. But that's where my family is, and the last place my sister and friends were seen. Also, based on your description of the Buyer, he could very well be Metallonian."
"What's the plan when we get there?"
Theodynn's expression flickered. "I...well. We'll have to get caught up with what they've already figured out, and then we can work together to figure out the Buyer's identity."
Rook wanted to point out that it didn't sound like Theo had a sure-cut plan after all—what did he want to do? Have her look at every single person in this Metallonia place until they found the one she recognized? If that was the case, she hoped it wasn't that large of a place.
"The trip will be a few more hours," Theo continued. "It may be a good idea to get a little more sleep before we arrive. It will be early morning when we get there and I'm planning on getting right into the search."
"I'm not tired," Rook argued honestly as she glanced between Theo and Tolan. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, she decided she couldn't take it anymore. "This is going to be the longest trip ever if all we're planning on doing is stare at each other," she pointed out at last.
"There's not much else to do," Theo sighed, rubbing his face.
"We could talk."
"Or we could sit in silence," Tolan muttered, shooting her an irritated glance. He was looking a little weary, and she wasn't sure if it was because the bodyguard was annoyed at her or because he hadn't slept in a while. Probably the latter.
"Talk it is," Rook said decidedly, earning her an eyeroll from Tolan. She leaned forward, focusing on where Theo was staring out the window at the trees streaking by. "I have to ask—just from the little I've seen so far, this realm seems pretty..." she trailed off, trying to find the right word.
"Overwhelming?" Theo guessed, keeping his eyes trained on the window.
Rook snorted. "Amazing."
Theo's eyes flicked over to her. "Seriously?"
"We're sitting in a big metal worm that's moving us faster than I've ever gone before!" Rook pointed out. "And out there—out this window—I lost count of the number of trees. All those forests and streams? It makes even the most lush areas of the East look shriveled and weak. And don't even get me started about these...what did you call them again?" She pointed up at the hanging light above them, and Theo smiled a little.
"Lightbulbs."
"Right—lightbulbs. I mean, look around! It's as bright as daylight in here—you never get light this bright with candles and fires. I've barely seen anything in this realm, and I'm already blown away...I can't imagine what other amazing things I still have to see."
Theo studied her for a moment, and Rook wondered if she had let her excitement get the best of her. Professional, Rook. Serious and professional. At last, the young man shrugged. "Well...I mean, it's a pretty amazing place. I'm just used to Oni kinda hating it, the first time they visit."
"There's a lot to hate," Tolan muttered, and Theo smirked as he glanced at his bodyguard.
"I think you would like it better if you didn't let the floating temple throw you off so much."
"There are a lot of things in this realm that don't make any sense," Tolan argued. "Give me a well-made tent to live in with logical things made at a local blacksmith, that don't light up or move on their own."
"Why do you think I never bring you when I come to Ninjago?" Theo laughed. "You're always on edge here, Tolan...it's all I can do to keep you from running people through who look at me funny."
"I don't know, he was like that in our realm too," Rook couldn't help but point out. "I wasn't sure our visit to southern market would end without any casualties."
For a moment, Theo smirked at the memory, but then Rook saw his expression fade. She kicked herself for bringing up the past—like Theodynn needed any more reminders of all the time she spent lying to him. She hurried to get the topic back on track. "But like I was saying...I had a question. This place—this realm—is amazing, and it seems like you could live here, if you wanted to. So why is it you've stayed in our realm all this time, with the hoofers and blacksmiths and dust?"
Theo's brow furrowed, and he shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I'm...actually planning on moving here, soon."
Silence fell, and Rook wasn't sure what to say. She glanced at Tolan, but the bodyguard was as stony-faced as ever as he stared at the ground. "Oh," she finally said. "Uh...why now, all of a sudden?"
Theo shrugged a single shoulder, avoiding her eye. "I was the Heir before, but now...I don't know. I need a change of scene." He continued to watch the scenery flash by outside. "I grew up coming to this realm, you know. Visiting my grandfather and all our friends and family here. We came at least once or twice a year, and I do love it. There are so many fascinating things..." His expression wrinkled. "But it never really felt like home, I guess. But now, not even home feels like home, so..." He trailed off.
"So you're moving because you gave up your title?" Rook realized. "That means that was the only thing keeping you in our realm." She felt a flash of unexpected bitterness. "So without the position of power, there's just no point?"
"That's not what I said."
"That's what it sounds like." Rook knew she wasn't winning herself any points, but she felt irritated enough that it was hard to care. She glanced at Tolan to see if the bodyguard was ready to shut her up, but surprisingly, he was staring at Theo instead, as if he too wanted an explanation. Theo seemed to realize it was two against one, and he huffed angrily.
"The first realm has always been my home. Ninjago is amazing, but there was something about the first realm that I will always love. The fortresses, the culture...watching progress unfold before my eyes. Being part of that progress." He scoffed. "Back when I still thought I deserved my title, I felt like I was a meaningful part of everything going on. But now...I don' t know." He rubbed his arm, staring at the floor. "Maybe I'll never really belong anywhere."
Rook wanted to continue to argue, but Tolan glanced at her now with a look that told her to drop it. She did grudgingly, leaning back in her chair so she could stare out at the passing foliage. Time passed as her thoughts trudged around in circles, and the landscape outside the window changed. Sometimes it was flat and covered in moonlit grasses, and then for a long stretch, it was sandy and bare—almost like home.
A soft snore caught Rook's attention, and she finally glanced over at her companions. She was surprised to find Theo staring out the window and Tolan with his head hung forward. It seemed the guard was more tired than he had been willing to admit.
Theo looked over at her, as if he could sense her looking, and then glanced at Tolan when he realized who she was looking at. A smile played at the young man's lips. "He's had quite a few long days," he pointed out softly. "Looks like they finally caught up with him."
Rook allowed herself to return the smile. Theo went back to looking out the window, but without Tolan's judgmental stare trained on her, Rook risked asking another question. "Theo?"
For a moment, he didn't reply. She wondered if he was avoiding being pulled into another conversation. Rook didn't repeat herself, but after half-a-minute, he glanced over. "Yeah?"
"After, you know, that day, you decided to give up your title. I know it has a lot to do with how everything went down, but I can't help but wonder what you would have done if everything had gone to plan instead."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just pretend for a minute, okay?" Rook asked as she tried not to fiddle with the end of her braid. "Say that I actually was exactly who I said I was, and that we were on the same team and we were both dedicated to taking down the trade, and we found the traders that day. If things had gone exactly how you had wanted them to go...what would have changed?" She risked looking up to meet his eye. "Would you have still given up your title? Or would you be building a school in the central fortress right now?"
He was quiet as he pondered the question, his expression drawn. After a minute, he inhaled deeply. "I don't know," Theo said at last. "I guess I wouldn't have given up my title...but it was only a matter of time before I realized I wasn't cut out for it."
"What would your next step have been?" Rook pressed. "I mean, I know I haven't really known you long, and our whole relationship wasn't very honest, to say the least...but the only thing I really ever knew about you was how determined you were to take down the trade. It's all you would talk about...the only thing you did all day. What exactly were you planning on doing after you got rid of it?"
"I probably would be doing the same thing we are now—looking into the Buyer."
"But that's still connected," Rook accused. "Jump forward, to after we find the Buyer, and everything works out the way you always wanted it to. What comes next? You rush into some other project and hardly eat or sleep trying to finish it, just like you did with taking down the trade? Would you have spent some time relaxing instead? Would you have—"
"I guess we'll never know," Theo snapped. His voice was still quiet—it seemed he was just as loathe to wake Tolan as Rook was, but his eyes flashed irritably. "I probably would have gotten wrapped up in some big project, and eventually I would have failed at something so completely that I would have been forced to realize that I don't have what it takes to be the Ruler someday. Hopefully, it would have been before I ever got crowned."
"See, that's the part I don't get," Rook stressed. "Cuz I'm going to be straight with you. If you don't have what it takes to be the Ruler, then who on earth do you think does?"
"I'm sure there are plenty of Oni who—"
"Wrong. That's wrong," Rook cut in. "Look...I've been around, and I've met plenty of Oni. Poor, rich, weak, strong...and a whole lot of Oni in places of power. Through it all, I've never met someone like you. And sure, I may be a liar—or, a repentant liar—but I can honestly tell you that even while I was lying to you, I never once thought you'd make a bad Ruler."
Theo raised an eyebrow, and Rook huffed.
"All right, I get that I can't really make a credible argument about my honesty, so fine if you don't believe me. But after seeing you in action, I would stand by my opinion that you may be the only person in the realm I would ever trust to be in charge of it. You might think that day in the Ravine—the day that I, you know, betrayed you—proved that you couldn't handle it, but if anything, you just proved to me that you could. You aren't weak, Theo—you've got a good head on your shoulders, and what's more, you actually care about people." At this point, she had to look away. "Trust me. That may be the rarest trait in the whole realm."
"I'm too naïve," Theo pointed out flatly. "Good intentions aren't enough, if I can't even—"
"Good intentions are better than what most people would have going into that kind of position," Rook snapped, turning back to him. "Look...don't take this the wrong way, but it's getting old listening to you treat yourself like a victim." Theo's expression clouded, and Rook sighed as she continued. "I'm not saying that horrible things haven't happened to you, or that you haven't been targeted or taken advantage of. I'm saying that you aren't the helpless, weak person you keep pretending you are."
"I'm not—"
"Everything you say about yourself is negative! You act like all the bad stuff is proof of your failings, but you've survived through it all, haven't you? You pulled through each time, ultimately triumphing against all those people who set out to take you down. That traitor who took you when you were young, or that woman who apparently trapped you in a burning building. Or even me, for Ancient's sakes." Rook laughed once without humor. "That isn't weakness, Theo...in the trade, we called that grit. And I know that my opinion is probably meaningless to you now, but for the love of the Great Kahzym, stop acting like you gave up your title because you thought you couldn't handle it."
She slouched in her chair, kicking herself. Who was she kidding? She was never going to be a serious, professional yes-man. If that's what they thought they needed for this mission, they might as well dump her back in prison.
Theo didn't answer right away, and when he did, his tone was surprisingly neutral. "What about you?"
Rook scoffed, not turning. "What about me?"
"What would you have done if everything had 'gone to plan' that day? If I hadn't had a backup plan...if you guys had managed to get me in vengestone, and ship me off to the Buyer. You would have gotten your fortune, and your freedom...everything you ever wanted. What was your next step going to be?"
Rook exhaled slowly. She supposed it was a fair question, given the one she had just asked him...but it still left her feeling cold. She could feel Theo still watching her, and she doubted he would drop the subject. After a moment, she laughed, which probably wasn't the right way to handle such a heavy question, but she couldn't help herself. She wiped at her nose as she shuddered with quiet laughter, and she could only imagine the look Theo as giving her now.
"What?" he finally demanded.
"It's stupid," she replied, still refusing to look over. "But would you believe that I only had one plan for when I was finally rich and free? I was going to pay Deilie off until he finally told me what spices he uses on those rats he cooks." She sniggered again, closing her eyes as her face flamed with humiliation. Having to admit how watered down her own plans were made her feel juvenile, especially after she spent the last few minutes chastising Theo.
"That...was your only plan?"
"Yep." Rook buried her face in her hands for a moment, trying to force herself to treat the question seriously. "I always told myself I'd figure out the rest as I went. Really, it was the idea of freedom that I loved the most, more than wealth or any of that. The thought of going wherever I wanted, and not having to answer to anyone, and having the money to live comfortably while doing it. Not having to worry about how I was going to eat, or checking over my shoulder to see who followed me..." She hesitated, and finally looked up to meet Theo's eye. The laughter had subsided, and she gave him a tight smile. "But even though that's what I wanted...it was nothing more than a fantasy. Even if things had gone exactly as Quazier and I had planned that day, your disappearance would have been linked directly to me—I'd spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder. Even if your family, or you yourself, hadn't tracked me down...Quazie would have." She shook her head ruefully. "He promised I'd be free, but he's always been a liar. After a few months—maybe even a year—he'd have come up with some new illegal and dangerous way to make money, and he would have tracked me down to drag me into it. And just like that...I'd be exactly where I was."
"You defeated him in order to bring him to the fortress," Theo pointed out. "If he had tracked you down, you wouldn't have had to do what he said."
"You don't get it," Rook countered bitterly. "I could have left him long ago, if it was just about strength. He wouldn't have threatened to kill me...he would have threatened to oust me." She took a deep breath. "Have you ever wished that you could go back in time, and set yourself on a totally different path? If I could, I would go back to years and years ago...to the moment that Quazier trusted me to do my first solo job. At the time, I could have run—I could have tried to appeal to someone, or turned in the slave trade to your parents. Anything. He had people watching me to make sure I went through with the job, of course, but I knew that I was better than his thugs. I could have outrun them...and I could have been free." Rook's chest felt heavy, but she forced herself to continue. "But I didn't. That was the moment I went from being a prisoner of the trade, to becoming part of it. If I had left then, I could have had a totally different life. But I didn't. I think he knew I wouldn't, and the second you act for the trade, it's over. You've sealed your fate, and you'll only ever be one anonymous tip away from prison or worse. If we had managed to sell you to the Buyer that day, and Quazier tracked me down afterward and asked me to do another job, I couldn't have refused him. If I had, he would have made it possible for your family to find me and bring me to justice. That's what Quazier was always good at—egging us on until we did something unforgivable, and then reminding us that we would never be on good standing with the rest of the world again, so we might as well keep helping him."
"Mmm." Theo made an uncommitted noise, and Rook glanced up to see him looking deep in thought. Their conversation faded into silence as neither of them seemed willing to continue on the topic they had been discussing. Time stretched on, and they both resumed their watch of the world outside. With the train rumbling underneath her, and the desert landscape becoming predictable and plain out the window, Rook's eyelids became heavier and heavier until she joined Tolan in sleep.
108
Zane scanned the interior of the house, but there was so much structural damage at this point that he did not expect to be able to stay within it for very much longer.
"There are no survivors on the top floor," he admitted, feeling a pang of sadness for the couple who had already succumbed to the inferno. He was dressed in a heavy, fireproof suit, but the temperature was still uncomfortable for the heat-conductive android. It is good I do not need oxygen, considering how low the readings are, he mused.
"Based on my calculations, the structure is close to collapse. It would be prudent to extract now, Zane." P.I.X.A.L's voice crackled into his communicator.
"I will make my way out," Zane agreed, heading for the staircase. He picked his way down the steps, but he hesitated when he realized how fragile the burning stairs were now.
"Do not go leave through the interior of the home. Come out the same window you entered."
"I just want to scan the lower floor," Zane replied, squatting so he could get a better view. It was a small two-story home, and it didn't take him long to scan the large lower room.
"Zane, the team is ready to extract you."
"Wait." It was difficult to pick up infrared readings, considering how complicated the heat from the fire made everything. However, Zane swore he was picking up a different signature than anything else in the burning house. Frowning, he made a split-second decision.
The ice hissed as it thickly coated the burning stairs. Steam and smoke billowed, and Zane used his newly formed ramp to slide safely down into the lower level. He moved quickly to the figure he had picked up on his scanner, and his heart buzzed with anxiety when he caught sight of the small child hunched in a corner between a couch and the wall.
The boy was passed out cold, no doubt from the limited oxygen. Zane scooped the limp form up into his arms, his scanners insisting that they were picking up signs of life.
"I found a survivor," he said urgently, heading for the door. "Extracting out now through the lower level's front door."
"Zane, that was not—"
"I will need medical assistance stat upon extraction," he said, cutting P.I.X.A.L off as he moved quickly for the front door. "Survivor's vitals are low."
"Understood. Stand clear of the door."
Zane smiled briefly, grateful that P.I.X.A.L was patient with him when he went off-plan. The door of the home exploded. Zane shielded the small form in his arms, but as soon as the way was clear enough, he bolted through the doorway and outside.
Medical personal met him immediately, pulling the child from his arms and putting an oxygen mask on his small face. Behind him, smoke and flames continued spewing from the broken windows and the doorway, and Zane glanced back at it.
"The chief has officially declared the structure to be a lost cause. All effort has been redirected to keeping the fire from spreading to the nearby homes." P.I.X.A.L appeared at her husband's side.
"Wise," Zane agreed, but he found it hard to focus as he turned back to where the emergency responders were wheeling the child to an ambulance. P.I.X.A.L noticed where his attention was, and she put a hand on his arm.
"The child will receive the utmost care," she reminded.
"Yes," Zane agreed. "But he will be alone."
P.I.X.A.L blinked, but Zane was already moving toward the ambulance. He reached it just as they were trying to shut the doors, and one of the paramedics frowned. "We have to get the survivor to the hospital ASAP."
"We would like to accompany the child," P.I.X.A.L cut in as she stepped forward. Zane turned to her in surprise, but her expression did not waver. It seemed she was willing to back him on his change of plans once again.
"You are not any kind of relation..." the EMT tried.
"Please," Zane cut in. The paramedic's expression flickered, and he finally sighed.
"All right, I can't really turn down the heroes of Ninjago. But get in already—we needed to be moving five minutes ago!"
The androids clamored into the vehicle, and the ambulance quickly took off for the hospital. Zane and P.I.X.A.L made sure to stay back out of the way as the EMT's buzzed around the child's small form, and Zane scanned the boy from a distance. He was young...most likely between his first and second year, though his frame was so lean, it was hard to know if he was really that young or merely small in size. The Nindroid found himself thinking about the fire. Initial scans seemed to point to faulty wiring in an old house, and he wondered what the small child had been doing downstairs in the middle of the night, instead of upstairs in the bedroom with his parents. It was lucky he was, or he would have met their same fate, as the smoke from the fire had accumulated in a suffocating cloud in the rooms in the upper floors. But even if the child survived, what would happen to him now?
"I have seen that look before," P.I.X.A.L commented as they reached the hospital. Zane glanced at her, and she quirked an eyebrow. "Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?"
"I do not know...though you are usually good at guessing at what is in my head," he pointed out with a small smile.
"It helps that I spent so long inside of it," P.I.X.A.L remarked.
The EMTs were unloading the boy now, rushing him into the hospital. The Nindroids followed behind, though they were redirected into the waiting room once they entered. Zane lowered himself into a chair, ready to wait, and P.I.X.A.L sat next to him.
"We have rescued many people in the past few years...but you seem especially attached to this one," she pointed out.
"His parents are gone," Zane pointed out, thinking about what he had discovered back at the burning house. "If he recovers, he will be sent to an orphanage."
P.I.X.A.L quietly processed that. "You want to intervene?" she guessed.
"I...I do not know," Zane admitted honestly. He thought about how frail the young boy had felt in his arms as he carried him from the building. "Somehow, it does not feel like enough to save him from one tragic fate to send him into another."
"The orphanages in Ninjago City are quality institutions," P.I.X.A.L pointed out.
"I do not doubt their ability to care for the children in their charge," Zane assured as he stared at the doors they had taken the small child through. "I just...cannot help thinking that he will have to grow up all alone, now that his family is gone." He shifted in his seat and realized he had never removed his fireproof suit. No wonder he was getting so many strange looks.
"Perhaps," P.I.X.A.L agreed.
"It is a lonely thing, being on your own, with no ties or memories of your previous life," Zane murmured. His wife didn't answer right away, but he felt her reach out and take his hand. He looked back at her, and her green gaze was piercing as she met his eye.
"It is unprecedented, what I think you are suggesting," she pointed out. "There would be many obstacles. How badly do you want this, Zane?"
He met her eye and finally smiled. "It is not a decision I could make alone. I would never want to do something that we were not both fully committed to."
"That did not answer my question," P.I.X.A.L pointed out. "You want to do this, Zane...do you not?"
He squeezed her hand. "I...do," he admitted. "But I want us to do this. If you have any reason that you would not—"
"I feel that it is just the challenge we need," his wife cut in with a small smile as her eyes flicked across his face. "I am willing to commit to the decision, as long as you realize the difficulties we may have to go through to take the child in."
"I realize," he promised, and he felt a thrum of excitement inside. Thus far, their family had just been the two of them, but with the image of the young boy logged in his mind, Zane allowed himself to imagine what life would be like to extend that family to include one more.
Reboot in progress
Interior power seventeen percent
Reboot failed
Reboot in progress
Interior power fifteen percent
Reboot complete
Memories flickered in and out of algorithms, and Zane's body jerked as he managed to regain consciousness at last. His cranial programs limped for a few minutes, drawing from his depleted power supply. The memories that had been accessed from long term storage filed back to their proper places and Zane struggled to draw from shorter term memory.
"What...where am I?" he managed. He was lying on table, and he sat up as he looked around the room. He realized with a start that he was connected to a nearby computer, with screens blinking down at him. The Nindroid frowned, the short-term memories flickering in. They seemed damaged, but he was able to grasp the important details. He and P.I.X.A.L had come to the laboratory in Estyeer to work on a surveillance project to help them find Julien. Hallways, labs full of lab equipment. A surveillance drone sitting on a table...a cry of warning. Then...nothing.
Zane frowned as he accessed his internal logs and realized he had spent several hours in an unsuccessful reboot before he had managed to regain consciousness. Whatever happened, it was serious, he realized, and he looked around for his wife.
"P.I.X.A.L?" he called, his heart whirring with concern.
"You managed the reboot." The speaker was not P.I.X.A.L, and Zane turned to see a man lingering in the corner. Zane frowned as he scanned the speaker.
"You are an android."
"You do not remember me?" the man's expression pinched in concern as he stepped forward into the room. "It seems ze accident has affected you greatly. I am Doctor Zerek...ze von who invited you here to Estyeer."
Zane looked down at the cords connected to him. "What exactly are you doing?"
"Ve vere tracking your vitals...hoping you would be able to reboot yourself. You are a more complicated machine zan I am. Even vith my knowledge of robotics, I am not confident enough to tamper directly vith a fellow android." Zerek sighed as he lowered himself into a chair. "You and your wife vere vorking on a surveillance drone, and zere vas a terrible accident." He gestured to the cords plugged into Zane's mainframe. "You may remove zose—zey vere only for monitoring purposes. It is bad enough zat you had to suffer such an accident under my watch. I vanted to be sure your personal reboot vas vorking."
"Where is P.I.X.A.L?"
"In anozer room. She recovered faster zan you did, but I zink you took ze majority of ze blast."
"What exactly happened?"
"Ve are still trying to figure zat out, if I am being honest," Zerek said with an apologetic shrug. "Ve are fairly certain it had somezing to do viz ze chronosteel ve vere trying to use in our drones. It has little effect on me and my staff...but ven you touched ze charged steel, zere vas a large electrical reaction. It affected you and your vife, as vell as several of my staff members who vere assisting you. Not to mention, ze reaction managed to fry ze power grid here at Estyeer." Zerek shook his head. "I have never seen anyzing quite like it, but vith our system fried, it seems ve have lost all ze data zat could have helped us understand vie such a reaction even occurred. Our monitoring systems vere short circuited, and even our security camera footage vas ruined. Ve have very little to vork off of, besides your own memories of ze disaster." Zerek tilted his head. "Vat do you remember? Have you figured out exactly vat vent awry?"
"I...do not know," Zane admitted as he carefully unplugged himself, searching his memories. "Everything seems disconnected. I remember arriving here, but not meeting you. I can picture the surveillance drone and the lab it was in...but I do not remember the accident."
Zerek's expression fell. "I vas afraid of zat," he murmured. "Vatever ze reason it occured, ze accident vill be a very costly setback. I've had to reboot all ze systems in Estyeer because of it—I vould at least like to know how to avoid having it happen again."
"Why was there chronosteel in your drone?" Zane asked, frowning at the other android. "It seems a strange component."
Zerek shrugged uncommittedly. "Ve are ze Metallonian Inquiry and Robotics Institution. Ve have been experimenting vith rare alloys in robotics for many years. Chronosteel seems to have much potential...but after ze accident, I have realized how dangerous it could truly be."
"Chronosteel..." Zane blinked as he realized something. "I am not very familiar with all the traits of that alloy, but I do know it reacts specifically to elemental power." He looked down at his hands, and suddenly, he realized why he felt so empty inside. "The element of ice," he mentioned numbly. "It is...gone."
"Ze...vat?"
"I carry the elemental power of ice, and it is no longer inside of me," Zane explained, sliding off the table into a standing position. "It must have reacted with the chronosteel...that is why it had such a terrible reaction with me specifically. It was reacting with my elemental power."
Zerek frowned thoughtfully. "I have heard zat you possess skills ozer scientists do not, but I must say I am not very familiar vith elemental powers. I have heard rumors, of course, but everyzing I've heard has hardly seemed scientific."
"They do tend to follow their own set of rules," Zane mused, not sure whether to feel confused or panicked as he realized he was missing the elemental power that had become second nature to him over the years. "Please, I need to know what happened to the element of ice. There is a chance it was sucked into the device..."
"I vill have ze surveillance drone brought to you immediately," Zerek promised. "Ve have studied it extensively ourselves and zere is no sign of zis power you mentioned, but you obviously know more about it zan I. I vill bring your vife to you as vell—she also had to go zrough a rebooting process, zo I zink ze overall damage to her vas less zan it vas to you."
"Thank you," Zane offered, still feeling confused.
"Do not zank me, Zane. You are ze von who vas villing to come all ze vay here to Estyeer to help me vith a project, only to have it backfire terribly against you both." Zerek scowled. "I am deeply sorry...had I known ze prototype vould be so volatile, I vould have never allowed you to vork on it."
"You could not have guessed the reaction between my elemental power and the chronosteel," Zane offered. "I have carried the power for decades now and still do not understand it fully—there was no way you could have known."
Zerek nodded once. "I vill get you vat you need right avay, and perhaps you can still let me know vat I can fix on ze drone. After all, ze sooner ve get it in ze air...ze sooner ve can locate Julien and ze ozers."
Zane's smile faded as his memories flickered. "Julien," he murmured, and for half a moment, a sense of urgency seemed to overwhelm him. The memory that had come to mind during his reboot flickered in his cranial circuits...holding that frail infant for the first time as he charged from the fire. Elemental power is important, and it is important to figure out what happened to mine, Zane thought to himself. But even the power of ice will need to take a backseat, until Julien is found.
There were a few times that Theo could have drifted off to sleep, but he didn't let himself. Though he reminded himself that the likelihood was low that something would go wrong on the train ride, he couldn't help but feel like sleeping would leave them too vulnerable.
They were heading to a station in a place called Bembay—apparently that was where the hospital was where they had been treating those they had managed to find, and most of the team had found places there to stay while they searched the nearby wildlands.
Theo knew they had to be getting close, and he turned to wake his companions before a train horn could. He wasn't sure if being startled from his sleep by such a ruckus sound would send Tolan into an offensive frenzy, and he wasn't sure he wanted to risk it. He knew his bodyguard was unnerved by much of what existed in Ninjago, which is why deep down, Theo was both surprised and grateful that Tolan had been willing to come with him.
When Theo caught sight of Rook, he couldn't help but smile a little. Her face was pressed up against the glass of the window, her body hunched over and her neck bent awkwardly as she slept. He reached out and put a hand on her knee, shaking it gently. "Rook."
She snorted awake, and as she caught sight of him, she jerked away from the window. "Ug," she muttered as she winced and stretched out her neck, which was no doubt stiff from the way it had been bent. Theo just smiled, and turned to wake Tolan as well. The bodyguard woke more calmly, though Theo noticed his hand drifting to his hilt, as if by habit. Did Tolan reach for a weapon every time he woke, or was it just because he knew he was still in Ninjago?
"Are we...wherever it is we're going?" Rook asked, still trying to massage her neck. "It feels like the train is still moving."
"We're getting close," Theo assured. Sure enough, it wasn't ten minutes later that they were pulling into the train station, with the voice coming on over the speaker system informing them that they had reached Bembay, Metallonia.
"Who's that talking?" Rook muttered, looking around.
"It's an automated voice," Theo said vaguely. "Come on—the train has stopped, so we're good to get off. He lugged his dufflebag over one shoulder as he headed for the nearest exit, with Tolan and Rook following close behind.
There were several other passengers on this early morning train, but they gave Theo and his companions a wide berth as they moved from the train to the platform. Theo could feel them staring at him—something that he had grown used to. No doubt they were trying to figure out why on earth there was a trio of oni in the middle of nowhere Metallonia at six AM. Theo smirked a little as he thought about their confusion.
After wandering the platform a moment, scanning for his parents, Theo finally gestured for Tolan and Rook to follow him up the stairs into the main station. Rook seemed as uncomfortable as ever to be in an underground tunnel, but she managed to walk on her own as she hugged herself tightly. Apparently, all that stuff about her fear of the underground wasn't a lie after all, unless she was dedicated to that subterfuge for some other unknown reason. However, the more time he spent with this version of Rook—the one who claimed to be sincerely repentant, with a new penchant for honesty—the more he was realizing that maybe not all of her original persona was faked. He thought about the way she lit up when taking in all of the newness of Ninjago. What reason would she really have to pretend to find it fascinating and exciting? Or to act uncomfortable in underground spaces? Who knows, he thought distantly as they climbed up the stairs. Maybe I'm finally starting to see the real Rook.
As soon as they made it on the station's main level, Theo spotted his parents. It wasn't difficult—for one, the station was practically empty this early in the morning, and for another, they hadn't come alone.
"Theo!" The call came from one of the twins, but it was hard to know which. Theo raised a hand in greeting, and suddenly his parents, the twins, and Ashley were running over. Theo saw Tolan stiffen as they were suddenly bombarded by the crowd, and Theo glanced over.
"They're all friends," he assured as the twins finally reached him. Mia and May threw their arms around him, and Theo hesitated a moment before embracing them back.
"Oh my gosh, we haven't seen you in so long!" Mia pointed out.
"We're glad you're here," May added as they pulled away. Theo wasn't sure what to say—his mind was tired enough that all he managed to do was nod.
"Theo." It was his mother who spoke next, and he looked up to see his parents staring at him. For a few moments, there was an awkward silence as they all looked at each other, seemingly lost for words. Then Theo moved to step closer. He felt both parents relax as he embraced them, and he sighed. Their differences aside, what mattered now was finding Amber.
"Are you any closer to knowing where she is?" he asked as he pulled away. His parents glanced at each other, and Cole sighed.
"We've searched everywhere, but we haven't found anything or anyone else. Jay, Nya, Kai and the rest are still out searching."
"But we've been thinking about what you said on the phone," his mother added. "About the Buyer having Amber. It...makes sense, if there's someone in Ninjago who wants Oni, that they would target your sister." The confession came out painfully, and Cole put an arm around his wife.
"Do you know how to find the Buyer?" the retired ninja asked.
"Um...I know how to recognize him," Theo tried, risking a glance over at Rook. She was standing a few feet back, watching the exchange with a neutral expression. She blinked as he gestured to her. "Rook's seen him before. She could identify him, once we start the search."
Theo watched his parents' expressions change as they looked over at the would-be assassin. Theo didn't miss the mistrust and even anger, and he cleared his throat.
"She's on her best behavior."
Keyda scoffed softly, still fixing the young woman with a deadly look, but Cole turned back to Theo. "You must be tired. We have a hotel pretty close to here where we can all get some sleep before we change out Jay and Nya on the search."
"I don't need sleep," Theo argued, even though his mind still buzzed with inter-realm jet-lag. "I'd rather start in the search."
"If nothing else, we'll head to the hotel so you can catch us up on what you know." It was the first time Ashley spoke, and Theo looked over to see the redhead studying him closely. "Your parents kind of filled us in on this Ninjagoan mystery buyer...but I need to know why you think it connects to our friends' disappearance."
Theo frowned at that. "Who all is missing, exactly?"
Mia scowled darkly. "Colby and Julien," she admitted.
"And a friend of your sister's," May added. "M. Openheimer."
Theo blinked in surprise, but then Ashley was speaking again. "Julien and Colby's girlfriends were also missing, but they are the ones who showed up in the wildlands and are currently receiving medical care. The general thought is all of them went on a big old Metallonian adventure during the academic break, but that the adventure went awry and they got lost in the wildlands."
"Which doesn't make any sense, because Amber can transport," Theo said.
"Exactly," Ashley agreed.
"I don't know," May cut in, looking uncomfortable. Everyone glanced over at her, and she pushed her long, straight hair from her face. "I'm not saying that there's nothing fishy about what's going on...but isn't there like, a limit of how many people you can transport? If they did get lost or run into trouble, Amber wouldn't have been able to transport all six of them to safety...right?"
Theo went quiet, and the older twin continued.
"Plus, I know there are certain restrictions on where you can go when you transport...that you have to be really familiar with the place, or whatever. Maybe Amber was too afraid to leave them all behind to go get help because she knew she wouldn't necessarily be able to find them again."
"There are a whole lot of other reasons why this situation is sus, May," her twin spat. "The biggest one of all being Matilda freaking O'Keefe!"
Theo felt the blood drain from his face, and for a moment he just stared. Had he heard that right? "What about Matilda O'Keefe?"
Suddenly, everyone was glancing back at him, and their expressions changed when they caught sight of his. "Um...we'll fill you in on everything, I promise," Ashley said at last. "Let's just get back to the hotel."
Theo's fists clenched, feeling a spur of anger. "Fill me in now. What has Matilda got to do with any of this?"
"We can't really tie her to the disappearance," Ashley tried. "We just know she spoke to Colby while he was here in Metallonia, and we're trying to figure out if there's more of a connection than that.
Theo was silent as he processed the news, feeling dizzy all over again. Even though there were so many unknowns about this situation, he had at least come into Ninjago thinking they would have a solid place to build from. But now there were so many variables that he had never seen coming. Matilda couldn't have been the buyer—not if Iona and Rook claimed that the buyer was a male with an accent. But the buyer could be working for her. Maybe this really was her way of getting rid of Oni...but if that was the case...would the Oni who were bought even still be around?
A hand clamped on his arm, and he looked over to see Tolan steadying him. The bodyguard's expression was steely, and he finally spoke. "I think it would be wise to rest up after all," he pointed out. Theo wanted to argue, but he was suddenly exhausted, overcome with all of the different things that they were dealing with.
The newly arrived Oni followed the others outside, where they hailed cabs to take them back to the hotel. Theo's mind whirled as he tried to make sense of everything. As it turned out, he and Rook ended up in the same cab...mainly because he wasn't sure he wanted her riding with Mia, May, and Ashley. He knew his parents weren't exactly thrilled with Rook being present or that she was sticking so close to Theo, but they didn't press the issue when Tolan assured them he would be riding with them as well. What do they really think she's going to do? Theo wondered. Run me through at the earliest opportunity? What good would that possibly do her? But he supposed they didn't exactly know her as well as he did...if he could even claim to know her at all.
"So...that person they brought up," Rook murmured as the cab stopped at a red light. "Is that same Matilda that burned down a building with you inside?"
"Yep." Theo's stomach soured, and Rook scanned his face.
"Did she just escape prison or something?"
"She never went to prison."
"Has your sister not been available this whole time?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what would have triggered all of this," Rook mused. "You think she's connected to the Buyer. I mean, those other girls basically said as much, right?"
"I really don't know how Matilda fits into all of this. But if she has Amber..." he trailed off, cursing softly as he leaned back on his chair.
"What motive would she have?" Rook pressed.
"I don't know. Revenge? We really screwed up all her plots and schemes all those years ago."
"So, she could have hired the Buyer to pay for your capture," Rook mused.
"It seems that way."
"That just doesn't make much sense," Rook said. "For one, the buyer did not come across as the type of person who takes orders from anyone. He definitely felt like the person who would be in charge of calling all the shots. And for another...why would she wait all this time? You only became a target a short time ago, and from what Quazier said, the Buyer considered getting you to be his utmost priority. Why would you become a priority now, all of a sudden, when you haven't been for so many years? What's changed?"
Theo thought about it, but then he shook his head. He was too tired for all this speculation. "I don't know, Rook," he snapped. She must have sensed his irritation because she turned back to the window.
"I'm sorry," she muttered. Theo sighed, and after a moment, he spoke again.
"I just want to find Amber already," he admitted in a poor attempt at an apology.
Rook glanced back at him, and then her expression became determined. "We will find your sister, Theodynn," she said at last. "If she's half as strong as you are, she'll be just fine. I promise."