When Zane arrived on the rooftop, he was met by a rather annoyed Pixal.
"They escaped," she hissed. "They had zip lines, too. They're experts, and skilled fighters. But at least they dropped their 'prey'." She pointed at Dareth, who groaned and stirred, but was still unconscious and entangled in the net. "I wasn't fast enough."
He put a hand on her arm. "It's ok. You did everything you could."
And certainly more than he had expected, but he knew better than to say this aloud. He would ask her later about the dress, which was not really a dress any more, and the hooks. "What about Dareth?"
"He'll be fine," she replied. "It was a fast-acting narcotic agent, but it doesn't do permanent harm. He'll wake up in a few minutes and feel dizzy for a while, but that was it, I hope. Oh, and by the way," she looked up, "I wasn't quite as useless up here as you may think. When they ran away over the rooftops, they talked to each other over a set of communicators. I managed to pick up their frequency, because I happen to be wearing mine as well." She reached behind her ear. "There was a lot of white noise. I tried to record the communication, but without appropriate filtering software, I could only understand a few words. It may be helpful nevertheless." She handed him her earpiece and set it on Replay.
He listened to the recording; there were at least two different voices arguing, but most of what they said was unintelligible. Interrupted by various interfering signals and crackling noises, he heard: "Screw it! … just lost them … at Laughy's? … the black one with him … That's pathetic!"
The nindroids exchanged a glance.
"Interesting, isn't it?" Pixal remarked.
Zane pondered the matter for a moment. "There was also something else. Did you notice their face masks?"
She frowned. "Yes. Black masks with stripes in different neon colors."
They looked at each other, and the realization dawned on them at the same time.
"Dendrobatidae!" they exclaimed simultaneously. "Poison dart frogs."
"The Dartfrog Club, meeting at Laughy's on Wednesdays and Saturdays."
Pixal's eyes widened. "I really wonder what Dareth got himself into. It must be a rather big thing since it's resulted in a whole gang being sent after him with gas bombs and nets – and this doesn't even include the ones who were coordinating this remotely."
Zane nodded. "We might find out more once he wakes up. You did a great job."
He paused for a moment. "Well … Gayle is calling the police, but she'll probably not wait for them, because she thinks it more important to get into the late-night news." He slightly shook his head. "So, there are the four guys down there, one who escaped on foot, and three over the rooftops. And there's this reference to Laughy's. I don't want to ruin the evening, but should we …"
"… call the team? Yes." Pixal took her earpiece back. "I take it that you don't have your communicator on you?"
He shook his head.
"Tsk tsk. I can't believe how unprepared you are," she teased. "Look at your shirt, by the way, aren't you terribly uncomfortable?"
"Well, yes," he admitted. It had stopped raining a few minutes ago, but of course said shirt was still soaking wet, dirty from his fall, and clung inconveniently to his body. "Gayle noticed it, too. She advised me to take it off in order not to catch a cold."
"What?" Pixal glared at him.
He shrugged. "She obviously isn't aware that I can't catch a human cold."
"And she asked you to undress so she could get a close-up of you for her late-night show?" Pixal's voice was laced with sarcasm.
"What? No." Zane was genuinely confused. Something in his choice of words must have upset her. "She said no such thing. What's the matter?"
Pixal looked still unconvinced, and it suddenly clicked.
"Oh, no!" He shook his head incredulously. "Even if she had meant to flirt with me, I wouldn't have noticed."
The idea was so absurd it made him chuckle.
After a moment, Pixal chimed in. Her apparent relief made him smile even more. He raised his hand and fondly tucked one of the wet, silvery locks that framed her face behind her ear. "You still haven't told me how you managed to keep your dress almost dry and have all the right tools at hand. We weren't supposed to be on a mission."
"I told you, the dress was Nya's idea," Pixal explained, gratefully accepting the change of topic. "She knew which kind of fabric to use. Jay knows an expert tailor who owed him a favor, back from his days as a show master. We developed the sewing pattern together. I didn't plan to use all the features tonight, but they came in handy. And …" She shrugged. "A lady never leaves the house without her handbag."
She held up a bag that Zane had not even noticed before.
He chuckled and returned her the grapple hook. "And the first thing you put into that bag when you went out for a relaxed dinner with your friends was a set of hooks and wire ropes," he observed. "Still your favorites? It's been a while since I first saw you using them. You didn't really know what you were doing, back then, but you were of great assistance."
She dropped her gaze and hummed. "A lot has happened since then," she said, sounding a bit embarrassed. "I've learned to fight properly."
"Oh yes," he agreed. "And it's not the only thing you've learned," he added softly.
His tone made her look up – and quickly glance down again as she started to blush. It was perfectly clear what he meant; she was no stranger to emotions any more.
"I was so stupid," she muttered bashfully.
"Not stupid. Let's say, your programming was underdeveloped," he smiled.
"And your processor was slow and outdated," she retorted, regaining her composure. "Are we even now?" She rummaged in her bag and tossed him a ball of dark cloth. "Because I'm actually with Gayle regarding your attire. I'd recommend you change into this while I call our friends."
With a curious glance at her, he unfolded a midnight-blue T-shirt. Pixal nodded at him. "Same material as my gown, just the plain version. Stretchy and functional, but less dressy. It should be your size. And best of all," she winked, "it's dry."
"Thanks," he said. This evening proved to have quite a few surprises in store for him.
While Zane unbuttoned his sodden white shirt, Pixal tried to get through to one of the other ninja via her communicator. It took a while until someone took the call, and she impatiently tapped her foot.
"Ah, finally," she exclaimed at last. "Where were you? Are you the only one who has his earpiece switched on? We need your help outside." She listened for a moment with a frown. "Yes, Cole, I know you are having dessert. But this is urgent." The reply seemed to irritate her. "Great to hear you joining the line, Kai, but I'm not joking. Zane and I just fought a gang of thugs who tried to kidnap Dareth, and some of them escaped. We need backup." She listened again and shook her head in desperation. "No, for the last time. This is not part of the game any more. We need the ninja team outside. Stop fooling around." She rolled her eyes. "Could I perhaps speak to a responsible adult?"
There was another brief pause, and Zane couldn't help smiling. Pixal looked adorable when she got annoyed – provided that he was not the cause of her annoyance.
"Yes, Kai, yes," she exclaimed. "I don't care if Lloyd is technically of age now or not. Just let me talk to someone with some sense of responsibility."
She had obviously managed to get Lloyd on the line, because the conversation quickly became serious. In brief words, she explained to him what had happened after they left the hotel, and Lloyd promised that the other ninja would join them as quickly as possible. Zane could more or less figure out Lloyd's further queries from Pixal's replies.
"Yes, four of them. No, unfortunately not. Dareth will be ok. I'm fine, too, thanks. Only Zane is making me a bit nervous."
Zane looked up. As he had listened to the call, he had kept the dry T-shirt in his hands, and Pixal pointedly glanced at his shirtless torso.
"Oh no, he didn't get himself in trouble. Never mind, Lloyd." It was Zane's turn to blush now, and he quickly turned away to slip on the T-shirt.
"Thanks. We're expecting you." Pixal switched off her earpiece and walked over to Zane. "They're coming. Dareth is half awake by now, but I guess we just lower him down to the alley the same way he got up – in his net. What do you think?"
Zane nodded. Pixal examined her handbag and saw that they had used her ropes to tie up the attackers in the alley. There were only the two long wire ropes left. She made a face. "I'm afraid your praise was premature. I'm short on material."
He squatted down next to her. "It will do. You have still got some shorter pieces of rope to improvise a harness for two people. We will hook the net with Dareth onto one of the wire ropes and use the other to rappel down together. I think it is strong enough to hold us both."
She thought for a moment and then agreed. "That could work."
They were a good team. When they had set up their makeshift belay station and prepared to lower Dareth down, their biggest problem was the brown ninja's disorientation and confusion. Still somewhat dazed by the narcotic, he had no recollection of how he had got into a net and onto a roof and demanded to be set free to continue his fight to protect Gayle. Pixal convinced him with difficulty that the safest way to get back down to the ground was in his net – a prospect he did not like at all, since he suffered from vertigo.
Zane eventually remembered that the brown ninja was a self-proclaimed master of various fighting techniques named after animals. "Think of it as a training session, Dareth. We're going to do the eagle now; spread your wings, and with our help you'll soar through the air like a large, noble bird of prey."
Surprisingly, this image did the trick.
"Eagle in a mesh cage …" Pixal muttered and shook her head when Dareth started to make screeching sounds that he assumed to be typical for an eagle. At least he did not object to being lowered from the building any more.
"We will be with you in a minute!" Zane called down when the brown ninja touched the ground. "And our friends are on the way, too."
He put on the improvised harness that Pixal handed him, attached it to the remaining wire rope and lowered himself over the edge of the roof. Facing upwards and resting both legs against the building, he waited for her to fasten her own harness and follow suit. The rope swayed when she slid down, and he pushed his legs more firmly against the wall to support the additional weight of her body.
"You're ok?" she asked, coming to a halt at his level.
"Affirmative."
"I'm doing my best, but this is a bit improvised and the hook isn't really designed to hold two people," she remarked when she connected their harnesses and installed a makeshift rope brake. "But …"
"We're ninja," he grinned. "We've made the most impossible things work."
She turned to face him, all but sitting on his lap, with her legs on either side of his hips and her hands on the rope from which they were both suspended. Zane became aware that he was staring directly at her wide neckline and quickly glanced up. Her face with those softly glowing green eyes was hardly more than a couple of inches away from his, and he felt another solder joint in his chest melting.
"Uhm ..." Pixal dropped her gaze in sudden embarrassment. Her long, dark blue lashes sparkled in the faint light of the street lamps. "You'll need to hold on tight."
"As you wish." Wrapping his arms around her body, Zane pulled himself towards her and hid his smile in the crook of her neck. The raindrops on her skin felt cool on his cheek. When his lips tickled her collarbone, she squirmed a little.
"Come on!" How she managed to stifle a giggle and sound reproachful at the same time, he did not know. "It's totally sufficient if you hold onto me with your arms."
She bent forward and he could have sworn that he felt a kiss on his temple. The next instant, Pixal loosened the brake, and the two nindroids swiftly slid to the ground.
Lloyd, Kai, Nya, Jay and Cole were already there and helped Dareth out of his net. They had changed into their gis and looked excited, and no one seemed to take it badly that their night was going to continue in the streets of Ninjago City instead of the luxurious suites of the Plaza hotel.
"Good job," Kai remarked, pointing at the four figures on the pavement. "Any old acquaintances among them?"
"The ladies and gentlemen can't really take off their masks right now, Kai," Jay snickered. "As far as I can see, their hands are tied."
The comment earned him an angry hiss from one of the figures and a string of insults aimed at the nindroids.
"Hey, watch your language," Cole scolded. "You're talking to a lady droid and the most polite ninja of the city. It's not their fault that you ambushed them."
Nya, in the meantime, had walked over to Pixal and winked at her. "You look great. The sassy jumpsuit version really suits you. How long did it take to change?"
"Just under ten seconds," Pixal grinned.
"Wow." Nya was impressed. "I think I want a dress like this, too …"
"So, Gayle's gone, then," Lloyd remarked with a glance around.
"Yes," replied Zane. "But she called the police, and I can already hear them coming. I suggest that I accompany Dareth to the police station, because they probably want my report as well."
Lloyd nodded. "What about you, Pix? You were talking about a couple of other leads we should follow. Would you like to stay here and coordinate us via the intercom? Or is there something you'd like to investigate yourself?"
Pixal hesitated for a moment. "Actually … If I may, I'd like to go up there again," she looked at the rooftop, "to check if they left any traces that indicate who they were, or where they went. I know the police will probably find out a few things, but we may be faster. I was the one who let them escape. It bugs me that I lost their trail after they used a zip line."
"Sure," Lloyd agreed, "I'll be the central point of communication for everyone, then. How about Nya going with you?"
"Yeah, that's perfect," both girls agreed. "We're off."
"Hang on a second, Pix. You mentioned a likely connection with the Dartfrog Club and said the gang talked about Laughy's, Dareth's karaoke bar?"
Pixal nodded, and Kai and Jay exchanged a glance. "Sounds like we know where we're headed, right?"
Dareth, who had followed the conversation with growing bewilderment, held up a hand. "Wait, what does all of this have to do with my club? And with the Dartfrogs who just signed a contract for exclusive use of the game room two nights a week? I don't want to lose that business."
"We thought you might be the one who could tell us," Zane observed. "May I remind you that you were the object of their attack? Did they take anything from you while you were unconscious?"
Dareth confusedly sifted through his pockets. "No. Wallet, keys, cards, papers … Nothing's missing."
The ninja looked at each other.
"This is strange," Pixal remarked.
"Well, we can't solve this mystery here," Lloyd shrugged. "Kai and Jay, you check out the club?"
"Yep." Jay literally sparkled with anticipation.
"Tell the barman your first drink's on the house!" Dareth offered genially.
Kai grinned. "We'll see if we get an opportunity to take you up on that. Let's go."
When the police car arrived, Lloyd and Cole took their leave to have another close look at the vicinity before they would return to the Plaza and wait for news from the others.
It looked like this birthday party of Lloyd's developed into a full-blown mission, Zane thought when he followed Dareth to the car, one that he and Pixal could not have devised better. His internal fans were whirring with excitement. A case like this was what they always had trained for.
They were ninja, after all.