109
Sometimes it felt that there was just too much for one brilliant android to do. There were times Zerek had been tempted to put his mind in multiple vessels—such robotic cloning was possible for someone like him. However, as useful as it would be, the calculated consequences were always enough for him to ignore the urge. If the experiment ever created two separate enough intelligences, he had little doubt that conflict would develop between his ambitious parts. The world simply wasn't large enough for two—or more—Aristo Zereks.
So, as his to-do list continued to grow, he was forced to multi-task. There were things he could technically leave to his staff members, who would meticulously follow any direction he gave, but it was his desire to be part of each bold new experiment and unfounded process that restricted him.
"Priority until I return will be keeping the powered Oni and elemental master healzy enough for elemental extraction," Zerek instructed the staff members. "And if Julien vakes..." he trailed off, frowning in thought. "Keep him put. Make sure young Mr. Openheimer gets his water at noon. If my trip to Bembay shows zat Agatha retains no memories, ve vill conduct ze memory removal ven I return."
"Understood," the staff chimed at once. Zerek pulled off his labcoat, trading it for a thicker travel coat. Knowing his staff would carry out his orders perfectly, he left his office and headed for the laboratory where he had left the two foreign androids.
The door slid open, and Zane and P.I.X.A.L looked up as Zerek entered. He scanned the surveillance drone and nodded. "You have made great progress," he remarked. "Zank you."
"I do believe the inclusion of chronosteel was what was holding it back," Zane remarked. "Once your staff removed those elements, it has been easier progressing."
Zerek nodded once. "Ve vere hoping the chronosteel vould hold more power, making it possible for the drone to stay in air exponentially longer, since it vould not have to return as often to recharge. But I see now zat our lofty goals vere merely hindering ze vork overall."
He scanned the androids carefully as he spoke, trying to gain any sense of suspicion. He had altered their memories meticulously, including footage of this particular drone in the attempt to create believable false memories. That was the thing about being an android—memories acted much like other footage. It would be nearly impossible for them to realize that the clips he had inserted into their short-term memory didn't actually belong to them at all. However, by merit of their android nature, it was also much harder to track their emotions. In humans, there were many things that could give away their true feelings—heartrate, adrenaline levels, or even the inability to maintain eye contact. As Zane met Zerek's eye confidently, the scientist had to admit it would be difficult to know whether the two androids were suspicious of the events that he claimed had taken place at Estyeer. However, he had known getting the androids involved would not be without risk, and it had resulted in gaining the element of ice and an understanding on how to extract further elemental power. He was unsure if Julien would have been able to crack the code if his father hadn't been the one on the line.
"We will have the drone completed at the end of the day," P.I.X.A.L offered.
"I appreciate your dedication," Zerek offered. "From vat I can see, you have gotten ze drone to a point vere my staff vill be able to finish. I feel zat it vould be best to return you to your loved vons now. Vith ze accident, you have been avay for quite some time." Zane and the android he referred to as his wife made eye contact, and Zerek continued. "I am headed to Bembay to check on my assistant Agatha. Her father called and let me know zat she has voken, and I vanted to pay her a visit. I zot I could return you to Bembay at ze same time."
"I see," Zane said at last, glancing back at the drone.
"I vill keep you updated on ze drone," Zerek promised. "It vill be utilized as soon as functional. Vith science and luck on our side, ve vill be able to locate Julien and ze ozers quickly."
"That is our hope," Zane agreed, smiling sadly.
"Come," Zerek said, gesturing to the two androids. "You have done enough, and sacrificed much by coming here. Let me apologize again zat zis elemental power you spoke of could not be located."
"Sometimes, power transfers naturally," Zane admitted, looking at P.I.X.A.L again. "If it did not find a vessel here in your drone, then it may have moved to find a new user."
"How intriguing," Zerek mused. "You vill have to tell me more about zis power on our drive back to Bembay. I have never encountered anyzing like it, from ze little you have shared." He gestured to the exit of the laboratory. "Come, let me take you back to your family."
Even the floors in Ninjago were more comfortable than the floors in the Oni realm. Rook had spent the night curled up on the strange padded ground in a room in a tall building they all called a hotel. From what she gathered, it was a place that people could stay if they were far from where they actually lived. Apparently people here didn't live in tents, so they couldn't just bring home with them wherever they traveled. Honestly, the more she saw, the more intrigued she was by it all.
"Did you sleep well?"
She turned to see Theodynn looking at her. Rook stretched out her back. "It wasn't too bad, considering it has this—what do you call it again?" She stamped a foot on the cushy floor, and Theo glanced down.
"Carpet."
"It's like a rug that covers the entire room," She pointed out. "Why don't we have stuff like this in our realm? It would make your fortress warmer."
Theo smiled a moment, but then he gestured for her to follow him. "We've got to go meet with everyone else."
Rook nodded her understanding and glanced over at the bodyguard. The room they had stayed in was small with only one bed. Theodynn had spent the night in a separate room with his parents, and Rook had the great fortune to have Tolan as a roommate for the night. He had taken the bed without either of them really discussing it. Rook had accepted it as her lot. She might be an asset, but the bodyguard continued to subtly remind her that she was still a criminal.
Rook followed Theo out into the hallway, and she frowned as she realized the Ruler and her husband weren't out there. "Where are your parents?"
"They left in the middle of the night—they switched out Jay and Nya in the search in the wildlands." Theo sighed. "I tried to convince them that it's useless to look for Amber and the others in the desert, but it seems the general consensus is that no one wants to give up the search, just in case."
"So, who are we meeting up with?" Rook asked.
"We're headed to the hospital," Theo admitted. "In talking to Ashley and the twins last night, they seem to think that we could gain a lot by talking with Agatha. So far, they haven't been able to talk with her because she hasn't been allowed visitors, but they said we should be able to get in to talk to her this morning."
Rook wondered if she was really going to play any important role in the current plan. At what point was she going to get to incriminate the Buyer? There was a buzzing urgency inside. Part of it was infectious from the rest of the group—everyone she met seemed adamant that whatever needed to happen to find those missing needed to happen as soon as possible. But some of the urgency was more personal. Rook couldn't help but feel like maybe once she helped bring the Buyer to justice, Theo would finally trust her again. Not completely, but if she did what she had promised to do, there was a better chance that he would believe that she really was sincere about wanting to change. About wanting to care about someone...
Theo pressed a button on the wall, and the arrow depicted lit up. He turned, as if he could feel her staring at him, and his expression wrinkled. "What?"
Rook blinked. "Um, nothing." She looked away, and she could feel both Theo and Tolan watching her closely. The doors in front of her dinged and slid open, and she took a deep breath. This was one room she truly didn't understand—it seemed almost as magic as Theodynn's transporting. She cautiously stepped into it, and watched as Theo pushed another button with strange markings on it. The doors slid closed, and Rook held her breath as she felt the room moving. After what felt like an eternity later, the room stopped moving and the doors slid open again, revealing a totally different hallway than the one they had been in before. Rook released her breath.
"You don't have to be afraid," Theo pointed out as they walked out into the hallway.
"I'm not afraid...I just don't know what to expect," Rook argued. She looked around the large room where various Asahkar were milling about. She watched as some turned to stare at her, their expressions ranging from surprised to wary. It seemed people here weren't really used to Oni...but she didn't care if they stared. She was fascinated enough by them to be staring right back.
"Are we going to use another car?" Rook asked as they left the building. She gaped at the world around them, marveling how this place was even more amazing in the daylight. Tall, uniform buildings were all around, and the ground was all covered with a hard substance. Plants grew in specified places, and there was hardly any dirt to be seen. It was as if they had covered all the normal ground with a second, harder ground.
"Keep moving," Tolan ordered, and Rook shot him an irritated look. However, as she studied his expression, she realized that his eyes darted around uncomfortably. He really doesn't like this place, she mused. I can handle the unexpected, but it seems Mr. Always on Edge doesn't like being surrounded by so much new.
"We don't need a car," Theo explained as he started walking. "The hospital is close by—that's why they chose this hotel."
Rook nodded her understanding. She stepped down onto the black ground, taking in the various buildings all around her as they walked. She wandered further into the middle of the dark-colored ground, trying to get a better look at what seemed to be a food-stall on wheels, but then a loud noise interrupted her train of thought. She turned to see a car barreling for her, and for a moment, she couldn't think fast enough to move.
A hand grabbed her arm and ripped her backwards, and the car sped past. Rook's heart pounded, and she turned to see Tolan giving her a withering look. She flushed, irritated that the serious bodyguard had to intervene on her behalf.
"What are you doing?" Theo demanded. He had apparently seen the whole thing, and he shook his head as he came over and pulled Rook back up onto the lighter colored ground.
"I was just trying to get a better look at everything," she huffed defensively.
"You have to stay on the sidewalk—the road is where cars drive."
Rook glanced at the food stall on the other side of the road. "If you aren't allowed to walk on the black, how do you get to the other side?" she demanded. "Do you have to have a car in order to cross it...like a boat in a river?"
The corner of Theo's mouth twitched. "No, there are specific places you can cross," he said. "Otherwise you'll get hit by a car."
Rook rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but glance back at the food. Her stomach growled plaintively as she smelled the cooking loaves once again, and Theo finally seemed to realize what it was on the other side of the road she was so eager to get to.
"I guess we should probably eat something," he mused, studying the wheeled food stall on the other side. "Come this way...there's a crosswalk at this next light."
Rook was quiet as they followed the various rules of this strange world. She gaped at the different colored lights that blinked up above them, and she realized that the cars seemed to be following the signals.
"The lights control the cars?" she guessed.
"Kinda," Theo admitted, and he reached over to grab her arm. He stepped into the road, and Rook glanced at the stalled cars nervously as they walked in front of them. "The lights tell them when to stop and when to go. The drivers have to control the cars and follow the rules."
"And if they don't?"
Theo shrugged. "They could get hit. Now, where's that money Dad gave me..." He patted his pockets and finally seemed to locate what he was looking for as they reached the other safe walking ground. Rook frowned in confusion at the paper in his hand.
"What's that for? Is it another train ticket?"
"No, this is how we're going to buy breakfast," Theo explained. Rook followed him as he approached the cart and ordered a few of the things it was selling. Rook could make out some things that looked like loaves from home, but the loaves were all in different shapes and colors. Theo handed her something, and she was surprised at how sticky it was.
"What is this?"
"Fruit tart," he offered. "It's good." He handed the stall keeper some of the papers, and rook frowned.
"So those papers are currency?"
"Yeah, that's what money looks like in this realm."
First the papers that let you ride trains, and now this. What is it with this realm and its worship of parchment?
Theo handed Tolan another of the fruit tarts, and the bodyguard sniffed it suspiciously. "This is gonna have that sugar stuff in it, isn't it?"
"It's less sugary than cake," Theo promised as he started walking, taking a large bite of his own tart. "And less sugary than the doughnuts they were selling."
Tolan made a noise that made it clear he wasn't convinced that the fruit tart would be any good. Rook watched as the bodyguard took a bite and grimaced slightly, but she noticed that he continued eating it. She turned back to her own fruit tart and sniffed it again. Back home, there were dishes that mixed fruit and loaves, but she wasn't sure what the sticky stuff was crusted on the top. After a moment, she took a bite.
Rook blinked in surprise as a taste sweeter than she had ever tasted exploded into her mouth, followed immediately by the sour tanginess of fruit. It was unexpected, and she felt her skin break out in goosebumps.
"What do you think?" Theo asked. Rook glanced up to see that he had already finished his own tart and was studying her closely.
Rook didn't answer right away as she slowly chewed and swallowed. "I've never had anything like that," she admitted.
"So, you didn't like it?"
Rook took another bite, trying to decide. "I think I do, actually," she said. "Fruit in your realm is way sweeter than ours, though."
"It's not the fruit—it's the sugar," Tolan muttered. Theo smiled sheepishly.
"Things do tend to be sweeter here...and saltier. And tastier in general."
"Well, I don't know that it outshines Deilie's rats, but it's not bad," Rook determined with a smirk. Theo actually laughed at that, but then he was gesturing to a large building in the distance.
"That's the hospital there. Ashley said they would meet us in the waiting room on the bottom floor."
Rook continued to eat her fruit tart until it was gone, and then she tried to wipe her sticky hands on her clothing. Looking down at her dusty, worn clothes, she frowned. All around them, yellow-skinned Asahkar were walking around in brightly colored shirts and trousers. Often their clothing was slathered with pictures, symbols, and patterns she had never seen before. She, Tolan, and Theo looked so out of place...and yet, Theo had been adamant that he would be moving here soon.
"Do you think you'll fit in here?" she asked before she could think better of it. Theo turned in confusion, and she gestured to the world around him. "This realm is incredible, but won't you feel like you're...I don't know. Out of place?"
Theo glanced around and finally shrugged. "I'm a little out of place no matter where I go. Amber found acceptance living in this realm. It may take time for people to get used to me, but I think they'll accept me eventually."
Rook processed that, glancing over at a group of Asahkar that had stopped to stare and whisper. "Do you think they would accept anyone? Or do you think they'd only accept you because your father is, or was, one of them?"
Theo looked over in surprise, but he seemed to think of the question. "I don't know. I guess I'd hope that they'd accept anyone, regardless of their roots. Why?"
Rook shrugged, refusing to meet his eye as she took in all the various people and places there were to see. "Maybe you're not the only one who'd like to make a fresh start."
Theo stopped walking, and Rook ran right into him. He turned to study her closely. "Are you saying you want to live in Ninjago?"
"Well...I don't know," Rook said, trying to seem nonchalant. "I wouldn't mind starting over...and this place feels like the kind of place where you can just have one adventure after another." She became distracted by someone balancing on some sort of wheeled contraption that glided past. "I mean...I feel like I'd need a lifetime just to see everything there is to see in this place."
Theo was quiet, and she forced herself to look back at him. His expression wasn't hopeful, and Rook felt her own smile fade. After a moment, Theo ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I'm not sure it would be possible for you to move here, Rook."
"Why not? You're moving here."
"I have connections here," he argued. "I'm not really sure what the council would think about other Oni trying to come live here...but given your background, I'm not sure they would okay your specific transition."
"Meaning what?" Rook snapped.
"Meaning you're a criminal," Tolan pointed out, joining the conversation. Theo didn't disagree with his bodyguard, and Rook folded her arms.
"So...that's all I'll ever be, then? A criminal with no chance at a different, better life?"
Theo glanced away. "Maybe someday you could visit again," he tried. "But at the moment, you still have to have your trial, and you'd have to be different than how you were in the Oni realm. No weapons, no attacking, or stealing, or—"
"I get it," Rook said flatly. She pushed past Theo as she headed for the building he had pointed out.
"Rook—"
"Let's just focus on the mission, all right?" she offered. She was trying not to appear angry, but Theo's analysis of her stung. Is that really all he still saw her as? A lying, violent criminal? He's not going to see you as anything more until you help him find the Buyer, she reminded herself. So let's focus on that, and not get carried away in impossible daydreams.
110
Mia was really happy that Theo had come to Ninjago. For one, it really had been forever since she had seen him, and for another, he actually seemed to agree with her that something was extremely strange about this entire situation. May and even Ashley seemed conflicted about whether or not there was a further conspiracy beneath the disappearances after all of their different leads ran dry, but Theo had shown up full of confidence that Amber's absence was hardly an accident.
"Agatha Axel is taking visitors at the moment, but her immune system is still weak," the receptionist was telling them. "We're limited visits to two guests at a time."
Mia glanced over at her sister, Ashley, and Theo and his entourage. There were definitely more than just two of them here. She was itching to speak with Julien's girlfriend—they all were.
"I think Ashley should go," May pointed out, diplomatic as always.
"And I'll go, too," Mia decided.
"Actually, I'd like to talk to her," Theo cut in. Mia turned to him in surprise, but his expression was clouded.
"Why?"
"Because I have a feeling that she's not going to remember anything," Theo said flatly. Mia glanced over at Ashley in surprise, and the redhead frowned.
"Because of the trauma?"
"We'll see."
Mia felt a spike of irritation that Theo was insisting on going to see Agatha and being vague about his reasoning. Just because he's going doesn't mean I can't go later, she reminded herself. But by then, everything worth knowing would already be known.
Mia almost opened her mouth to argue, but the Oni woman who had come with Theo beat her to it. "So, we're all going to talk with this lady? Or..."
"You'll stay here with Tolan," Theo told her. Her expression clouded.
"I want to help."
"You can help later. For right now, we need to see what Agatha knows."
"You just said she wouldn't remember anything," the woman grumbled, but she dropped it. Mia looked between Theo, the woman, and the bodyguard standing nearby. She had met the bodyguard before, but all she really remembered about him was that he hated Uncle Lloyd for some reason. From the looks of it, neither of Theo's fellow Oni looked happy about the fact that he was going to be leaving them to go question Agatha.
"I could go, Theo," Mia tried, but he shook his head.
"I need to know."
May grabbed her sister's arm, and Mia turned to see May giving her a tight smile. "It's fine, Mia. They'll fill us in."
"Fine," she muttered. Ashley had already started heading down the hall toward the elevators, and Theo went to follow. However, it seemed like the young woman wasn't finished with him. Mia watched as she moved forward to grab his arm.
"So what? I'm just supposed to stay here with Mr. Sunshine?" she demanded, gesturing toward the bodyguard.
"Exactly," Theo said. "Look, I won't be long."
"We should be looking for the Buyer," the woman stressed. "Theo, this realm seems huge. If we're going to have any chance of finding him, we need to start looking."
"If Agatha remembers anything, she may be able to point us in the right direction," Theo offered, pulling his arm free. "Then your job will be easier."
The oni woman's expression flickered. "I don't care how easy my job is—I'm used to being challenged," she said flatly. "I promised I would help you find your sister, and I meant it. But if you won't even let me help, then...then why am I even here?"
Mia couldn't help but feel interested in the conversation. Theodynn had introduced the young woman the night before to be some kind of expert on the trade who was going to help them locate this Buyer that they were trying to find...but watching them now, she couldn't help but feel there was definitely something more going on here.
"Can you just wait with Tolan for thirty minutes?" Theo asked, sounding a little irritated. "We'll get to the search, but right now, we've got to see what answers Agatha has. I'll be right back."
The young woman still didn't seem pleased, but she held back as Theo finally followed Ashley down the hall. Mia was surprised his bodyguard didn't insist on following him down the hall—he usually stuck to Theo's side like glue. Only two people are allowed in the room, Mia mused. That's probably why.
With nothing left to do but wait, the four wandered over to the seats in the waiting area of the hospital entrance. Mia slumped down into her chair, still feeling annoyed at being left out. Her sister was bouncing her leg in the seat next to hers.
"Do you really think they'll be done in thirty minutes?" May asked.
"How should I know?" Mia muttered. Her twin glanced over.
"Are you really going to be butthurt over this?"
"Our brother is missing! The more we know, the faster we can find him."
"We'll find him just as fast whether you or Theo asked Agatha the questions."
"I just hate waiting," Mia snapped. She turned away from her sister and saw that neither the bodyguard or the oni woman had sat down yet. Deciding to take her mind off the wait, Mia called out. "What's your name again?"
The woman turned. "Me?"
"Yeah, the slave expert."
The oni's expression flickered. "Rook."
Mia leaned forward. "So, how do you know Theo, Rook?"
"It's complicated." Rook shifted, her gaze sliding away from the twin's.
"Complicated how?" Mia pressed, but the young woman didn't answer, her eyes still trained on the hallway that Theo had disappeared down. Deciding to test her theory, Mia shrugged. "I was just wondering. We never see Theo these days, so it's hard to stay caught up on his life. We're all good friends, you know—known each other since we were born, basically." Her gaze slid over to her sister again. "Hey, May, do you remember when Theo was head over heels for Ashley?"
"That's relevant right now how, Mia?"
"I'm just going back down memory lane," Mia said innocently, looking back at Rook. "He pined for years. Totally in love. You know who I'm talking about? The redhead who went with him just now?"
Rook's expression flickered, and Mia watched as her eyes flicked back to the hallway. There was definitely concern there. Checkmate.
"But that was a long time ago," Mia said, waving vaguely with one hand. "He moved on and got with that other girl...what's her name? Haiven?"
Another slight flinch. There was definitely something going on here.
"I honestly thought we'd be getting invited to their wedding soon...but Amber told us they broke up. And now, here he is bringing another girl to Ninjago." She leaned back in her chair. "Boy, he works fast. Must be because he's a prince."
"It's not like that." Rook's voice was icy, and Mia looked up.
"Then what's it like?" she asked. The Oni's expression was stony, and Mia sighed. "Look, this is going to be the longest wait ever if you're just going to stand there in silence. We might as well talk."
"It's a long story, all right?" Rook said, shoving her hair out of her face.
"Doesn't have to be. Do you have a thing for Theo, or not?" Mia demanded.
"Mia!" May snapped.
"What? Don't tell me that you haven't thought as much," she said defensively, before turning back to where the Oni was standing stiffly. "Do you like him?"
After a moment, the Oni smirked, her discomfort suddenly overcome with a surprising look of confidence. "So, Theo hasn't told you, then."
Mia blinked. "Told me what?"
"Seems you aren't as good of friends as you used to be," the Oni mused. "Don't feel bad."
Mia wasn't really sure what was going on, but she pushed herself to her feet. "What hasn't Theo told us?"
"I'm not sure I'm supposed to say." Rook shrugged. "You'll have to ask him when he gets back."
Mia stared at the Oni, feeling her frustration return stronger than ever. "Are you two dating?"
Rook snorted. "No."
"Then what?"
"Then nothing," Rook said airily. "There's nothing between the two of us. Trust me."
"You can't expect us to believe that," Mia said.
"Mia, just leave it," her sister sighed. "Could you stop looking for conspiracies for five minutes?"
"This isn't a conspiracy..."
"Sir?" This time it was a nurse headed their way, but nobody paid much attention.
"So if there's nothing between you and Theo, then what are you doing here? How exactly does someone become an expert in slave trade, anyway?"
"I'm here to find the Buyer."
"If you somehow know where he is, then why are we questioning Agatha?"
"I don't know where he is," Rook admitted. "Just what he looks like."
Mia scoffed. "That's it?"
"I get that it's not much," the oni offered. "That's why I told Theo we need to start looking now."
"Looking now? Unless you want to spend months looking at every person in the realm, just 'knowing what he looks like' isn't going to do us much good. Is that seriously your plan?"
"I'm not really sure what the plan is. Just that I'm here to help," Rook said aloofly, looking down at the Walker twin. "Not that you're in much position to question my usefulness. From where I stand, it doesn't seem like you're doing much good in the search yourself."
Mia rolled her eyes to cover the fact that she was flushing angrily. "Wow, such a charmer. Theo usually goes for the nice girls...guess that's why there's nothing between the two of you, huh?"
The oni narrowed her eyes, but by now, the nurse who had been calling out had reached them. Or rather, several nurses.
"Sir, is zat...um. Are zose weapons?" the head nurse demanded. Everyone turned to see her gesturing at Theo's bodyguard and the katanas he had strapped to either side. The bodyguard raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
The woman's expression became tight. "You cannot have zose in here. Zis is a public place..."
"Oh, ma'am it's okay," May tried, but the nurse waved her off.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, or remove ze weapons."
"I'm not leaving," the bodyguard said flatly, his hands drifting to the hilt.
"There's no need to make this a big deal," May cut in desperately. "Look, this is Theodynn's bodyguard...Prince Theodynn? The Oni? I'm pretty sure they have, like, diplomatic immunity or something—"
"I don't know much about Oni, and I get zat you are out of town and from a very barbaric place," the nurse cut in, still fixing the bodyguard with a firm look. "But zat does not give you ze right to valk into a hospital viz veapons on. I need you to hand your veapons over peacefully, or..."
"Not a chance."
"Tolan!" this time it was Rook shouting his name, but the bodyguard ignored her as he continued staring down the head nurse. The metallonian woman narrowed her eyes, and Mia glanced over at her sister. This whole situation was escalating, and Mia sighed.
"I'm going to go get Theo," she told her sister.
"Tolan, it's him..." the other Oni's calls were lost to the chaos as further medical staff surged over to get involved in the situation. People in the waiting room were starting to panic as they watched the crowd form, apparently believing that the oni carrying weapons was some kind of threat. It's the nurses' fault, Mia thought rolling her eyes. Creating panic...though, I guess it would be a little unnerving to have someone walk into a hospital with swords strapped on. Hopefully Theo can get this worked out.
Leaving her sister to desperately try to calm the situation down herself, Mia pushed past several nurses as she headed to find Theo and Ashley. She had memorized Agatha's room number in all the time they had been forced to wait for her to allow visitors. A few people tried to stop her, but she insisted that finding Theodynn was an emergency and pushed past them. At last, she reached the room she prayed it really was Agatha's and threw open the door.
The three figures in the room looked up in surprise. Agatha's face was streaked in tears, and Mia would have felt more concerned about that if her heart wasn't already pounding with adrenaline.
"Um...sorry to interrupt," she tried. "But there's kinda an...incident happening out front."
Theo and Ashley's expressions clouded, and Mia gestured for Theo to hurry.
"They're trying to make your bodyguard give up his swords."
The Oni cursed softly and immediately moved to follow. Ashely looked like she wasn't sure whether to stay or leave, but Theo and Mia didn't wait for her to make up her mind. They rushed back to the front, and Mia was glad that it didn't seem to have escalated. Or at least, the bodyguard hadn't drawn his weapons on anybody. Yet.
"Hey!" Theo called over the top of the loud discussion, but people didn't really notice him until he was forcing himself into the crowd. "Everyone, calm down!"
The medical staff eyed him suspiciously, and Theo shot his bodyguard a hard look.
"Wait outside, would you Tol?" he said. The bodyguard huffed, but he finally moved toward the doors of the hospital while the Heir turned to the crowd. "My name is Theodynn. I'm from the Oni realm, and Tolan is my bodyguard. That's why he was carrying weapons—just like any other security guard. Our weapons are just a little more...primative than those in this realm."
"If you are really royalty, and he is your bodyguard, zen vie vas he not vith you? Vie vas he loitering in ze vaiting room?"
"Because he isn't here guarding me," Theo said flatly. "He's here to keep an eye on my associate..." He trailed off, and Mia watched as he looked around the room. His expression flickered, and he turned to meet Mia's eye. "Where's Rook?"
Mia blinked, and she turned to look as well. However, it didn't take long to realize that the Oni woman was nowhere to be seen.
"Excuse me a moment," Theo said as he moved to the doorway. May immediately took back over as diplomat, assuring the medical staff that there had never been any threat. Mia didn't stick around to see if her sister could diffuse the situation, following Theo instead as he headed out to where his bodyguard was waiting outside. "Tolan, where's Rook?" Theo demanded.
The bodyguard's expression flickered, and Mia watched as the blood drain from the Oni's face. He moved to head back inside, but Theo stopped him.
"She's not in there," Theodynn said, his expression becoming stony. "Which means...she's gone."
Theo was tired of things being complicated. The Smith's hotel room was the largest, but it still felt cramped with everyone shoved into it. Theo had one corner of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees.
"I still don't get why you didn't tell us the full story to begin with," May was saying, staring Theo down from the other side of the room. "Now we've got some Oni criminal running around Metallonia!"
"I'm not sure that she would run off." Theo spoke at last, his mind still trying to puzzle out a solution to the current crisis.
"I don't know." It was Ashley who spoke next, a hand pressed against her head as she sat on a nearby couch. "I mean, if she really did everything you said she did, it would track. She knows she's in trouble in your realm, she comes here and realizes how huge this one is, and decides to take the risk at the earliest chance to strike off on her own."
"She did mention wanting to move here." Tolan's input was soft, probably only meant for Theo's ears. It was the first time he had spoken since they had all come to regroup. Theo knew that Tolan blamed himself for letting Rook slip away, but if the renegade Oni really was running off in an attempt to escape, it would be Theo's fault more than anyone.
"She has to know that she sticks out like a sore thumb," Theo argued. "She'd never really be able to disappear in this realm."
"Maybe she didn't think about that. After all, your realm doesn't have the technology that ours does. She could have assumed that if she got far enough away, it would have been difficult for you to get to her," Mia wondered. "She saw a chance to run while your guard's attention was on something else and took it."
It was true that Rook didn't know much about his realm, but surely, Rook wouldn't have been stupid enough to run. She would have to know they would track her, and she had been genuine about wanting to find the Buyer. Hadn't she?
"I'm not sure there's really any point debating it," May sighed. "We're going to have to contact Metallonian police and let them know we've got an oni criminal on the loose. The council is going to have a heyday with that one."
"I don't want to incite panic," Theo argued, glancing up. "Rook isn't dangerous..."
"You just got done telling us about how you first met when she tried to assassinate you," Mia pointed out dryly.
"She's not a danger to the general public," Theo said firmly, meeting the twin's eye. "And I'm still not convinced she's running for the sake of running."
"Theo." Ashley leaned forward, her green eyes flicking across his face. "Is there a reason you're defending her?"
"I've known her longer," he said, shrugging defensively. "This doesn't seem like something she would do."
"Or it's something you would hope she wouldn't do," Mia sniffed. She had been giving Theo some strange looks throughout the entire conversation, and he was too tired to try to interpret them.
"What other reason would she have to run off?" May asked.
Theo frowned in thought. "Maybe she just wanted to get started looking for the Buyer. She was mad that we weren't starting the search. It would be more her style to strike off on her own to bring him to justice."
"Unless she's working with him," Mia mused.
"She's not." Everyone seemed surprised by how emphatic Theo was, and honestly, Theo was a little surprised himself. But rather than apologize, he pushed himself to his feet. "I don't know what Rook's game is right now, and frankly, I'm angry that she'd do this with everything else going on. But no matter what she's trying to do, I think she's trying to do it for our side."
"The side who incriminated her and locked her up?" Mia pointed out. "Theo, it just seems like..."
"I don't care what it seems like," he snapped. "We've got too much to figure out to just be sitting around discussing motives and theories. Agatha didn't remember anything. That means that not only does the Buyer have Amber, but he's using her."
"I don't understand," May tried. "How does Agatha not remembering connect to Amber?"
Theo took a deep breath. He had promised Amber not to tell anyone what she had done all those years ago, but at this point, he didn't really have any other choice.
"Did you ever hear about the time my father lost all his memories?" he asked. He watched as his friends met each other's eyes. "Evynn—the one who erased his mind—was a Xinta. They have the ability to get into people's minds and change things."
Ashley stood. "You're saying that Amber can do that?"
"She's a Xinta," Theo said, running a hand through his hair.
"That doesn't mean that she can get into people's minds," May started.
"She can."
"How do you—"
"Because she's erased my memories before." The room went silent, and Theo heaved a sigh. "She had to, after the incident with the Island."
"What incident?" May tried carefully. Theo smirked bitterly. There was so much that never got shared with the Ninjago side.
"I died," he said bluntly, looking up to meet their eyes. "My family managed to bring me back, but the memories of being in the departed realm were driving me mad. Amber went into my mind and removed those memories."
Everyone stared, and Theo waited for someone to say something. No one did for a few minutes, and his gaze flicked from person to person. Most everyone just seemed shocked, but Tolan's expression had an air of sudden understanding.
"She made me promise not to tell anyone," he said at last, sinking back onto his bed. "But if people are showing up without their memories, then it means that in one way or another, the Buyer is using my sister."
Ashley finally spoke, her voice sounding distant. "There's a lot to figure out, but not enough proof to even know where to start looking."
"We need to find Rook," Theo decided. "She's our link to recognizing the Buyer."
"Are we going to talk about the fact that you just said you died and came back to life?" Mia blurted at last.
Theo glanced over at her. "We don't have time."
"Right," May whispered from next to her sister. She shook her head, as if to clear it. "Okay...focusing on finding your, um, associate...I think we still need to go to the police. We don't have to tell them she's a criminal running loose in the streets—they would still look for her if we told them she's just an Oni lost in an unfamiliar realm. It shouldn't take too long to find her, with the police's networking. Like you said, Theo... she sticks out like a sore thumb."
Theo nodded, feeling better about that plan of action. "All right. I'll head down to the police station and see what they can do."
"I'm headed back to the hospital, to see if I can get anything else out of Agatha and double-check that the whole sword fiasco is figured out and that they didn't contact the police to come arrest you," Ashley decided.
"We should go to the wilderness," May said, grabbing her sister's arm. "Let all the adults know what's going on."
Theo felt a twist at the thought of his parents finding out that they had lost Rook, but they needed to know. Every step forward feels like two steps back, he thought wearily as the group finally disbanded, moving to leave the hotel room. And it's starting to feel like we'll never catch up.
111
You've got to keep your opponent guessing. You get too excited about what you assume is a winning move that you don't stop to try to guess what plans the other side is making.
Theodynn's voice chastised her, and Rook wished he was actually present so she could defend herself. It wasn't really her fault, after all. After spotting the Buyer as he walked into the hospital building, Rook had been stunned. At first, she wondered if it was really him, but as his cold, grey eyes met hers, he stopped dead. When he turned around and promptly left, she knew it had to be who she thought it was.
What was Rook supposed to do at that point? She had tried to get Tolan's attention, but he had been distracted. Either she could have waited around for someone to actually listen to her, or she could take down the Buyer herself. As a trained assassin who, pre-Theodynn, had a reputation for always getting her target, she was pretty sure she could handle tracking and taking down a single old man who wasn't carrying any weapons.
It would have been fine, she thought to herself. If it hadn't have been a trap.
"You are less volatile zan I zot you vould be." The Buyer's voice drifted back from the front of the car, and Rook narrowed her eyes from her place wedged between two massive goons. She wasn't sure whether silence or a snide comment would make her feel more in control. Probably neither.
Had the Buyer come to the hospital specifically to trick Rook? Or had he just somehow managed to get his two goons together for such a perfectly executed ambush in the spur of the moment? Either way, Theo's voice was probably right to chastise her. She had underestimated her opponent.
The trip continued in silence for a few minutes, with Rook's thoughts cycling around and around in her head. She wanted to demand answers from the man in front of her for all of her questions. Why had he bought Oni? Did he have Theodynn's sister? How had he known that Rook was following him...or better yet, how had he managed to position his workers in the perfect place to grab her? She had fought, of course, but there hadn't been much room in the alleyway, and the two men were impossibly strong, their forms hard like stone. It had been embarrassingly easy for them to overwhelm her and force her into the dark car—the same one now carting her to some unknown fate.
"What's the point of taking me?" she finally asked. She had dealt with people like the Buyer before—worked for them, even. She knew there was no point in asking too many questions. Best to focus on the most important ones.
"You know who I am." The Buyer sounded amused. "It did not take me long for my facial recognition software to alert me zat ve had met before."
"What?"
"I recognized you," the Buyer explained. "Just as you recognized me."
"You don't want me to be able to identify you."
"Indeed."
"Then why not just kill me?" It slipped out, and Rook realized she wasn't really sure she was ready for the answer. She could see the Buyer in a dangling mirror in the front window, and she watched as his smile grew.
"So logical, even in ze face of danger," he mused. "Perhaps it is because you are used to a stressful, high-stakes lifestyle. Last I saw you, you vere part of ze slave trade...a high up member, from my understanding of your hierarchy."
Rook didn't comment, and the man continued thoughtfully.
"Ven I saw you at ze hospital, I realized zat ze Oni Prince did not come to our realm alone. It vas vise of him to bring somevon who could actually identify me, but to answer your question, I decided to keep you alive so I could see vat you could offer me."
"What on earth do you think I could offer you?" Rook asked darkly.
"Ze same zing you could offer ze Heir. Information zat could assist me in getting vat I vant."
Rook swallowed hard. "I won't help you hurt Theo," she said at last. "So whatever information you are trying to get from me—"
"You are stubborn, and used to a hard life. I understand zat I might not gain much from torture," he said. Rook's blood ran cold, and the car swayed as it traveled back and forth on a curvy road. "Luckily, I have ozer vays to get into your mind."
A few weeks ago, Rook would have thought he was bluffing, but after what she had experienced at the hands of Iona, she knew that such things weren't as impossible as she would have once thought. "And then what?" she demanded softly.
"I am not sure. I suppose I could erase all evidence of myself from your mind and return you vonce you vere no longer a threat. Or, I could simply kill you after I get all useful information from your mind."
Gotta love it when the psychopath has options, Rook thought grimly. She leaned backward on the chair, her eyes scanning the car once again. There really wasn't any way to escape, but she couldn't help but look for a way out. Old habits die hard, and all that.
"You really are exceptionally calm, given the circumstances," the Buyer pointed out.
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"I appreciate your stillness," he responded. "I vas concerned I vould have to knock you out to get you vere ve needed to go, but our anesthetics have a prolonged effect on Oni-kind, and I do not have much time to vaste on vaiting for you to vake vonce ve return."
"If Theo had trusted me to carry a knife, I assure you this would be a very different car ride," she assured flatly.
"It is fortunate zat he has arrived here in zis realm," The Buyer mused. "Ven ze loss of his sister did not bring him to Ninjago, I used vat I learned from Amber's inter-realm communicator to create a vay to block contact between Ninjago and ze Oni Realm, hoping zat he vould come to investigate ze loss of connection. Sadly, he never did. Zen I discovered zat his parents vere in ze realm, having joined ze search for zeir daughter...but still no Zeodynn. And now at long last, here he is in Metallonia."
Rook's stomach twisted. "You won't even get close," she warned. "He might as well be back in the Oni Realm."
"My sources claim he vill be visiting Estyeer shortly. Only time vill tell if it vill be by invite or infiltration."
"Sources? What sources?" Rook had maintained her calm state for the length of the drive, not wanting to waste energy or even emotion during a time when it obviously wouldn't benefit her. However, hearing the Buyer talk about Theo was making something burn inside, and one of the goons next to her clamped down on her shoulder.
"Your heart rate is accelerating. Is everyzing all right?" the Buyer asked.
"You're underestimating him, if you think he's going to be an easy target," Rook warned. "He's smarter than people give him credit for, and exceptionally skilled. And powerful. You should see what—"
"I am avare he is powerful," the Buyer cut in, sounding amused. "Zat is vie I vant him. He currently contains both elemental and oni power, simultaneously. It has been hard to decide vether I should try to maintain vat has to be a delicate system of shared power in my endeavors, or if it vould be best to extract boz powers before his fragile internal structure collapses completely."
It was hard to understand the Buyer, partly because of his accent and partly because Rook had no idea what he was talking about. He looked up at the hanging mirror, and for a moment, they made eye contact through the reflection.
"But zat all is beyond vat you need to know. Ve vill be arriving at Estyeer shortly, and zen ve can begin ze process of determining your usefulness."
Amber fingered the vengestone almost unconsciously as she was escorted down the hallway. She glanced at the rooms they passed, her heart pounding. They were on the way to the chamber. That meant they wanted her to erase a mind, right? That meant they wanted her to erase M's mind. It was a thought that still made her sick, but at the same time, she found herself hoping for it. As awful as it would be, at least M could be released.
But I would have to stay here.
As the thought crossed her mind, Amber stopped dead in the hall. The robots walking alongside her reached back to push her forward, and she stumbled woodenly. It was chilling to actually think about her own fate—she had been so focused on getting her friends out, that she realized she hadn't really thought about what Zerek's plans for her would be. Perhaps she thought that someone would have found and rescued them by now, or that some opportune moment to escape would crop up. But now, as she trudged to the chamber to follow through on orders from a sociopathic robot, she was realizing what she might be in for. Would Zerek keep using her to enter people's minds? Or would he start experimenting on her, and the limits of her power? Amber's hands started to shake, and it was all she could do to keep walking.
Just focus on today, she tried. Just what you have to do next. After M is free...I don't know. Maybe it will be easier to try to escape, once I know he's safe.
They reached the large door that Amber knew would lead into the chamber, and her body broke out into goosebumps. She was not at all a fan of the strange egg-shaped room with its sleek white walls. She waited until one of the staff members opened the door, and then she forced herself to step inside.
The chamber was empty. Amber blinked and turned around, but the door had already slid itself shut, a single staff member following her inside.
"Hallo, Amber," Zerek's voice crackled through the speaker system. "I have an unexpected memory tampering zat I need you to help me vith."
"Where's M?" Amber demanded.
"Mr. Openheimer vill not be ze subject of today's extraction."
Amber felt like she was suffocating. Who else could it be? Colby? Julien? Before she could ask, the door slid open again, and a woman's voice could be heard.
"Keep your hands to yourself, stone man. I can walk just fine."
Amber watched as an oni entered the room—one that she had never seen before. The oni was accompanied by another staff member, and Amber tried to figure out who on earth this would be. Someone from Zerek's village? But why would he need a prisoner's memory erased? Was he just wanting to experiment now? See what she could do...how much damage she could conduct? The thought made her nauseous.
The Oni looked up and caught sight of Amber. The Xinta watched as the fellow prisoner stopped dead. It's not every day they meet an Oni with yellow skin and horns, she mused bitterly. But the woman's words surprised her. "Well...you're older than I was expecting. But I guess those paintings could have been out of date."
Amber blinked. "What?"
"I need you to erase all memories zis Oni has of me," Zerek was instructing. "And zen I need to know everyzing she knows about your brother."
Amber stumbled back, turning to look at the mirror. Even though she couldn't see Zerek through it, she knew he was there. "What are you talking about?"
"Zeodynn brought her to zis realm to incriminate me. I need you to remove any memory she could use to recognize who I am."
"Theodynn...is here?"
"Not here," the woman chimed in, waving a vague hand. "Back in that other place, with the hospital and the cars and those crazy buildings."
"Who are you?" Amber demanded, whirling on the woman. For a moment, the Oni's expression flickered, but then she sighed.
"I'm Rook. I'm a...fan of your brother's."
"Fan? What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'd say 'friend,' but I honestly don't know where we stand at the moment." She shook her head, her expression suddenly clouding. "Ancients, he's probably furious with me right now."
"What?"
"Ze sooner ve can see vat is in her mind, ze sooner..."
"No!" Amber whirled on the mirror, her feelings reaching a boiling point. Tears stung her eyes as she glowered, a sudden defiance flaring up. "I'm not doing it."
"Amber..."
"You said that M would be next! I'm not going into anyone's mind until you let him go!"
There was silence, and then Zerek spoke again. "I could simply threaten him, if you are unvilling to follow directions, Amber."
"That's what you've been doing this whole time!" Amber's voice broke, and she took a threatening step toward the broken mirror. "Stringing me along...telling me that you would let him go after I do just one more thing, and then one more thing..." She wiped at her face, her gaze hateful. "I'm not going to let you use him as an indefinite threat."
"I see. Zen vat vould you propose I do? Release ze only zing keeping you obedient?"
Amber swallowed hard, glancing over at the woman. Rook seemed confused, looking around and muttering to herself. "How is his voice in here, when he's not in here? How does he do all of this?"
"If you...if you let me erase M's memories, then I'll do hers," Amber finally offered. Rook blinked and looked over at her, her expression suddenly guarded.
"What, everyone with horns magically has mind powers?" she demanded, taking a step back. The staff member behind her grabbed her arm, and the woman's expression was stony.
"Hmmmm," Zerek mused over the intercom. Amber waited desperately, tears stinging her eyes. At last, Zerek continued. "I suppose I vould still have Julien and Mr. Vallker in custody, to create an incentive for my future Xinta experiments."
Amber's stomach clenched at the mention of her other friends, but at least if Zerek was bringing them up, they were alive. Right?
"I vill send for Mr. Openheimer."
Amber sagged with relief, sinking to the floor of the chamber. Nearby, Rook was watching her closely.
"What exactly is going on?"
Amber ignored her, but she did glance over when she heard Rook struggling. "It's no use," she said, watching the other Oni unsuccessfully pull her arm free from her captor. "They're robots."
"I don't know what that means," Rook admitted, still trying to wrench free as she glanced over at Amber. "But your brother made it seem like you're powerful. It'd be nice if you'd use that, you know...so we can get out of here?"
Amber looked away. "You should have never brought my brother here," she said, clenching her fists.
"It really was not my idea, trust me. Have you ever tried to talk Theodynn out of something? You might as well lift a hoofer out of a well bare-handed." Rook continued to struggle, and the voice crackled back over the speaker system.
"You may release ze oni before she hurts herself, Fourteen."
The robot released his grip, and Rook stumbled forward as she found herself free. For a moment she seemed confused, but then she burst into motion. Amber watched as Rook flung herself at the smooth walls, no doubt trying to locate the door. However, she had only landed a few hits against the shiny walls before she staggered back with a yelp.
"CROWN OF KAHZYM!" She shouted, shaking out her hand as she backed up with new wariness.
"Ze valls vill electrocute you, if you try to damage zem," Zerek said. Amber swore he sounded amused, and Rook narrowed her eyes as she looked around. The oni's gaze finally landed on Amber, and Rook quickly approached.
"All right, no windows, no doors...and the Buyer's ghost taunting us. There's got to be a way out of this, right?"
Amber buried her face in her hands. "It's not his ghost."
"A voice with no body screams ghost," Rook countered, her eyes flicking around. "I've never seen one, but Dielie swears the ghosts of the rats he cooks come back to haunt him, keeping him up all night squeaking..."
"Who are you?" Amber shouted, but Rook's response was cut off when the door hissed open. Rook went to charge it, but one of the robot captors was ready for her, grabbing her arm before she could go too far. However, Amber barely heard her. M. walked into the room, and it was all Amber could do to keep from screaming.