AN: love the concept of Echo Zane and after teading some others wonderful fanfiction starringhim, I decided to go for it myself! If you would like to help me brainstorm/help make sure character aren't OOC (out of character) please contact me! My goal with this fic is to write so accurately you can hear the Ninjago voice actors saying the lines. And…… END AUTHORS NOTE!

"Hello?"

The stranger's words echoed off the lighthouse walls and Zane gripped Gizmo tighter. He was hidden in a corner created by the start of the spiraling staircase and a bookshelf. Only a few minutes ago he had been attempting to climb the staircase, determined to spend his last days in the light. But he had heard noises. It was not his father come back for him, like he had first thought. It was many people speaking and stomping. There seemed to be at least ten. And then what he dreaded, a knock on the door. Three thunderous pounds. Zane had scrambled to that dark corner and collapsed, giving up all hope of making it to the top of the lighthouse. He looked at his old, rust eaten, broken legs and sighed. He did not want the many strangers to see him like this. He could not move from this place and there were so many strangers, he could not help them all at once. He hoped they wanted nothing to do with him. Gizmo had raced toward him as the strangers outside continued to talk. Zane had, with difficulty, gripped him to his expiring heart. Gizmo was his only friend. The only one he had ever known. He was possibly responsible for starting him up for the first time after father left. Yes, Zane had never met his father, but there was something in his programming that told him everything he needed to know. His father was Dr. Julien, a kind old inventor who Zane wished to see very much. But it seemed that wish would never be granted. Zane could tell he was dying. Every day his wind up clock ticked less enthusiastically, every day the rust made it harder to do anything without snapping in half. In fact, half of his fingers were reduced to useless stubs. With Zane lacking the ability to repair himself and Gizmo lacking the intelligence to help, there was no way to improve his condition. So here he was, crouching in the dark, clutching Gizmo, fearing both the strangers and death.

The people outside had jangled the handle, trying in vain to force their way through the locked door. A yell, and then silence. Zane had wondered desperately if they had finally left. But no, another shout and then, SLAM. Zane had heard the door hit the floor.

"Oh yeah! That's how you do it!"

"Hello?" the unfamiliar voice echoed.

He heard the strangers happy babbling clearly. "Where do you think he is?" he heard one of them say. Who where they looking for? Surely not him? Maybe his father? Zane thought the strangers sounded quite young. Not quite adults yet. Maybe 18 or so. Even so, he hoped they wouldn't find him.

"Wow, sure is dusty in here."

"It's been quite a long time since we've been here."

"Maybe we would've been here sooner if SOMEONE hadn't just remembered after TWO YEARS." It was a female voice this time.

"Hey, you were here too!" It was a boy again, with quite a high pitched voice for a teenager.

"Please, let's focus on finding him. I'm worried about how long he's been left alone." Zane stifled a gasp. This voice sounded… robotic. Like him.

"Let's check the basement!"

"Wait, what about behind that bookshelf?" Zane's curiosity quickly melted away and he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. No, he thought. Do not look behind that bookshelf. He heard footsteps as they drew nearer. Zane wished he could move away, but, as it were, he was stuck. Zane trembled as a girl with dark hair and a boy with auburn locks came around the corner.

"Hi, Echo!" the boy exclaimed.

"Shhhhhh!" the girl hissed at him. "Can't you see he's scared?"

"Oh, so-rry!" The boy earnestly whispered. He reached out a hand and Zane jerked backwards.

The pair stopped, puzzled on what to do next. "He's really scared!" The boy said loudly over his shoulder.

"Let me try." It was the robotic voice again. The girl also looked over her shoulder and then after a glance back at Zane, they turned and walked away.

A tense silence followed. Zane was caught between wishing they were all gone, and desperately wanting to see this droid. A silver, mechanical hand placed itself on the side of the bookshelf. A face of the same color followed. Zane let out a small gasp. It looked exactly like… him! His silver copy blinked his brilliant blue eyes at him. They glowed softly and put Zane at ease. It was truly amazing, seeing someone who looked exactly like you.

"Hello," his copy greeted him and smiled, coming out from behind the bookshelf. His face soon grew concerned, looking at Zane. Apparently he saw his sorry condition. Zane looked away, ashamed. His heart gave another terrifying lurch and his vision went fuzzy. Gizmo, however, (Zane had almost forgotten he was there) beeped happily in Zane's arms upon seeing the double. His double began searching for the source of the noise in the dark; his eyes grew brighter. Then he smiled. "Gizmo!" he cheered softly, his face lighting up in recognition. Gizmo chirped happily back. He knows Gizmo? Zane thought in wonder. He looked jerkily down at Gizmo beeping happily. Apparently Gizmo knows him too. He glanced back up at his copy, who's eyebrows were scrunched in concern again. "I am here to help," he said. He walked slowly closer, but Zane did not find himself shrinking away.

"Guysss, I think it's working!" the auburn teenager whispered, out of sight.

The android smiled. "I, and five of my friends have come. We are ninja, protectors."

"Pro-protect those who cannot protect them-m-m-selves?" Zane croaked eagerly.

The double lit up warmly upon hearing this phrase. "Yes," he breathed. He croached down to Zane's level. "Dr. Julien is my father too."

It was Zane's turn to light up. "You kn-kn-know my fa-ather?"

"Yes. We all do. We have come to get you, do you think you could come with us?"

Zane forced his head from right to left.

"You don't want to leave?"

Zane suddenly shook his head again as violently as he could.

His double understood. "You can't." He walked closer on his knees. He looked into Zane's eyes. "Why?" he asked innocently.

Zane's heart ticked irregularly, jarring him. He tried to lean closer to the droid, who noticed his difficulty and came closer himself.

"I.. am about to expi-i-i-re," he rasped.

Zane's copy did not look shocked, only more serious. He thought for a moment.

"I can help you now, so we can repair you fully later."

"Help me?"

"Buy you more time." Zane's mirror paused. "Work on you," he finished.

Zane looked down at his chest, still holding Gizmo. He did not like the idea of someone poking around inside of him, but he did want to leave the lighthouse. Jerkily, he forced his arms open, dropping Gizmo. He slowly reached for his torso and flipped open his chest compartment, exposing his heart to the stranger.

Zane's double quickly got to work, identifying Zane's vital cogs and attempting to stabilize them. It felt strange with someone's hands inside of him, but Zane trusted him, whether foolishly or not, he did not know. The droid reached Zane's heart where two gears, still slowly creaking from the wind up energy, powered most of Zane's life functions. Zane's double tapped the smaller gear, which Zane knew was severely rusted and fragile, and Zane winced, feeling his heart slow. Those blue eyes staring into Zane's midsection grew wide.

"I need to replace that gear," he muttered in a panic. He began looking around frantically, obviously thinking hard. "It's a spur gear, center distance 7 cm… with a tooth depth of 2 cm…" Suddenly he stopped. He put both his hands to his neck and tore off the metal protecting it, shocking Zane. He fingered around, finally finding what he was looking for. With some difficulty, he slowly forced a gear out from the top of his neck. "A spur gear, center distance 7 cm with a tooth depth of 2 cm" he smiled, looking at it, obviously trying to pretend that that hadn't hurt. "I won't be able to turn my head until I get that replaced, but that's alright." And Zane watched still in shock as his copy moved in with the new gear.

"I'm about to take out the gear," he said slowly. "Do not worry, I will move the second one manually in the few seconds the gear is absent."

Zane felt the sickening lurch of the gear being removed, and his vision became static for a second. Then he felt his copy's finger moving the first gear along and everything cleared. He actually felt much better. The new gear was fitted in place and Zane's double monitored it for a few minutes, to make sure it fit perfectly. Then he looked up at Zane.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Zane slowly smiled. "Qu-quite well. Much better."

Gizmo zoomed around, bleeping happily. Zane's copy also split into a grin. "May I carry you out of here?"

"Oh, y-yes."

When Zane's copy rose, carrying Zane in his arms, the others cheered. Zane looked at all five of them, each in different colors, smiling brightly at him, happy to see him well.

"Don't forget… Gizmo," Zane whispered.

"Of course not." Zane's double whispered back.

"Jay, do you have Gizmo?"

"Got 'im right here!"

"What happened?"

"Glad he's okay!"

"Zane what happened to your neck?"

And Zane closed his eyes in his copy's arms, not feeling scared at all.