Author's Note: Okay! For this chapter I wanted to shed a bit more light on Seven Deities before going back to the Ninja. I hope you all enjoy! And as always thank you very much for your continued support!

Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence…"—George Washington

Chapter 23 ~ Watching and Waiting

It would definitely make one think…had the humans of Ninjago ever faced a world-wide crisis such as this…? To have destruction rain down from the sky—from the distant oblivion that was space? No, it was safe to say they hadn't. Records show that not since prehistoric times had Ninjago's surface been riddled with meteorites. Long before GOD had created Adam whom did sire the next born, from which breeched from the womb of Eve.

And yet, here they were again, now testing not only the animal kingdom, but the Kingdom of Man as well. But it was strange… Despite their anxious endeavor to lay waste to the silent and empty city below, the heavens from which they came were surprisingly peaceful, even beautiful. Swathed in dark colors of black, silver, and streaks of blue, the flaming rocks imbued with Mana descended with powerful elegance and finality, cutting through cemented and stout skyscrapers like they were made from wet paper. And upon impact, a deafening explosion of green and a flash of white would commence, subsequently spraying clouds of translucent spores of the same mysterious jade into the atmosphere.

The ground shook. The air shook. And fires erupted in patches all across the city. And those flames stretched higher and higher, licking the sky with happiness and affection until their smoky trails formed new clouds. But there was one who sat amidst the destruction. On high upon a building still standing erect and proud, knelt a young woman of cocoa skin. Her plethora of black braids was interwoven intricately and meticulously through her scalp, the crystal-beaded ends reaching just passed the middle of her back.

Her eyes were closed in intense concentration, her brow peppered with sweat despite the cold wind assaulting her lovely yet scarred face. Her gloved hands clenched tightly into fists in her lap as yet another meteorite sailed over her head, missing her and the building she perched upon. Instead, it collided with the building in front of her—a public library. A blast of crushed emerald and blinding white later and the spores were released along with the singed and burning pages of books.

The wind blew harshly all of a sudden, sweeping a mixed cluster of spores and pages in its gales. "I am the end of all things…the wind that brings chaos…" A deep and wraithlike voice uttered, the sound like a tickling whisper in the woman's pierced ears. "…Allow me to destroy you too…Athena…"

The woman opened her eyes slowly, her long, dark lashes lifting to reveal twin steel blue orbs. Her lips pulled into a stern line of disapproval when she spied the dark greenish tint amongst the swirling nor'easters. "You shouldn't be here, Zelus. You should be with the others. Leaving the city."

Taking on a new purpose, the winds shifted and began circling the female deity's knelt figure, the voice within them still carrying the same ethereal and piercing edge. "I do things my own way… The wind will always go where it pleases… You know this… And besides…" Just then, the poisoned gales took a dark, sinister shape and formed a man crouched behind Athena. The man's pale lips twisted into a cruel smirk as he let his breath ghost along the shell of his comrade's ear. His long, black hair tousled in the passing current before falling to frame his handsome visage in a beautiful, velvet curtain of ink. "…I knew you couldn't just leave," Zelus went on. "Not when your element is calling oh so sweetly to you… So tell me, Athena. What exactly are you doing here? Come to revel in the destruction your element is causing?"

Athena nary blinked at the other deity's snide remark, though, her scowl did darken. So much so, that the scar along her left cheek turned stark white against her bronze skin. And at that moment, another meteor made its presence known, careening with deadly purpose and accuracy towards the building the two deities had affixed themselves. Coming from the right, aiming for the bulk of the roof—surely it would hit…

But before its flaming mass could even brush up against the outer rim of the building, Athena halted its boisterous descent, suspending the gargantuan rock with her power. And why would it not heed her command? Cosmic was her esoteric element after all… She stood up wordlessly and dusted some stray debris from her belted black jeans, prompting Zelus to rise as well and step away from her. Athena's pace was leisured but confident as she approached the rock covered with reddish-blue fire, and without hesitation or fear…reached through the flames to touch the meteorite's scolding hot surface. The silver rings encircled around the exposed fingers of her gloved hand began to glint and pulse with a pale blue light. And at once, the fire dissipated in wisps, leaving the glowing green spores in their wake.

She plucked one of them off the rock and scrutinized it intently. "Every Elemental Master knows that the best way to become attuned with one's element is to be amidst it through its natural occurrences, Zelus. But, I admit…that's only one of the reasons why I'm here."

The tall, raven-haired man walked the short distance to stand beside his fellow deity and looked over the mysterious spores also, his arms folding across the silver dragon head emblems of his green ninja robes. "So…this is mankind's evolutionary conduit? The one Clouse spoke of?"

"Yes. These things will supposedly herald the dawn of a new age for this world. New powers for us Elemental Masters, genetic mutations for men… But there's something else as well—something our father warned us about before his passing, if you recall."

Zelus' dark, green eyes narrowed, the golden flecks within them glinting. "Chen may've been yours and everyone else's father, Athena. But he wasn't mine."

The wind howled. Powerful enough to disturb the duo's hair and rustle their clothes. Athena turned her head to look at the male deity, the beads attached to her braids chiming harmoniously as they clinked together. "Yes. I know you weren't born dead like the rest of us, Zelus. Father revived you and brought you home to us when you were seventeen. But regardless of that, you've been with us for the past eight years, making you just as much as part of the family as anyone else. You are a deity. Ergo, Father dubbed you Zelus."

But despite Athena's gentle tone, Zelus just sneered at her and flicked his wrist dismissively. "Back to the subject at hand," he spat, frowning. "If you're referring to before Chen left us to go and host his tournament on some distant island, where he subsequently got himself killed I might add. He did speak of: "Seizing control of the Darkness when it comes". Just what does that all entail exactly? He never elaborated." A wickedly, cruel upturn of the lips again. "Y'know…before his murder."

Athena's expression darkened once more. Such disrespect. And not only after Chen had revived Zelus and gave him a second chance at life. But he also brought him into their little clan and fed him, clothed him, bathed him. And just basically put a roof over his head and provided everything for him to live comfortably. And that included giving him the extra training he desired. And yet… Athena's left hand clenched at her side as she tried to reel in her mounting wrath. Getting enraged and emotional right now was unwise… No matter how badly she wanted to ram her fist into his ungrateful mug.

She decided to just answer his question. "I cannot say for sure," she admitted truthfully. "It's been something I've been ruminating about since the words were divulged. But Morpheus is our seer, and has been feeling very worried as of late. So much so that he's developed insomnia. Not even Apollo's most soothing melodies have been able to lull him to sleep. And troubling still, Persephone told me just yesterday that her blood was beginning to stir…"

Zelus closed his eyes in thought. "Hmm…interesting. But not interesting enough to deter me from my current goal…" He turned away from Athena and the meteorite, his long, black scarf fluttering behind him. He then pulled his green mask up to cover the lower half of his face. "Get rid of that stupid rock, but make sure it doesn't hit any of the relay stations nearby."

Athena's brow furrowed as she eyed the Master of Wind suspiciously. But nonetheless, did what was instructed of her and sent the meteorite brutally into Wolf's Networks Station instead. She rejoined her fellow deity who was stationed at the building's edge and peered at his profile. If there were some redeeming qualities to Zelus' character, it was his determination and unrivaled focus. And those penetrating green and golden peppered orbs were centered on the city below.

"You keep mentioning goals, but have yet to share them with us…" she said with thinned eyes. "What do you aspire to achieve, Zelus? Y'know…before your murder."

The male deity merely scoffed at the obvious threat. "Death will not claim me again until I will it to," he arrogantly declared. "But if only to stop your bitching, I'll tell you."

Zelus undeterred gaze continued to roam the streets below, until stopping at an entrance of a dark tunnel. He smirked wickedly behind his mask. "The rats have fled to their nest underground," he voiced lowly. "And what better way to flush out vermin but by eliminating the source of their vitality…"

Athena's eyes widened as she stared at the masked deity. All of them had been informed of New Ninjago City's populace's plan to take shelter in their underground metropolis for the duration of the meteor shower…and that their enemies were helping them. Now normally she wouldn't care about the citizens of this city as was decreed by Chen long ago that the deities were to always be neutral—never picking a side and caring about only their own. However, Zelus' meddling would pose a serious problem for them if it went awry.

"You were given no such orders to act on your own in this way!" The female deity cried, her temper flaring. "Have you've forgotten that the destined Master of Mana is with them?! And that Lord Clouse wants him alive! By tampering with the underground city's power source, you've put the mission in jeopardy! What exactly are you trying to pull by doing this?! I should crack your skull!"

Zelus abruptly tore his gaze away from the tunnel to glare heatedly into Athena's furious, steel blue depths. "What did I tell you about your stupid bitching, onna!? Cool your humongous tits!"

"Shut up! And who do you think brought the bitch outta me, idiota! Explain yourself right now!"

Zelus grabbed Athena's wrist and lifted it, tugging the wrathful woman forcefully towards him. "The rats, onna! Those sorry excuses for Ninja! One's whiskers will twitch and come scurrying up to the surface to see what's wrong. And although Apollo was less than forthcoming about his encounter with the blue ninja, Eros' diarrhea of the mouth filled in the gaps. The Master of Lightning had been left traumatized from the experience, so I doubt he'll show. Which leaves only one other likely fat rat to come in his stead…"

Athena blinked up at Zelus, realization dawning. "What? You mean… You're talking about the Green Ninja of Creation…"

At the mere mention of the powerful title, Zelus' belligerent gaze turned poisoned—not even the golden flecks could be seen. "That blond-haired, red-eyed shitlord… I will let him recharge the relay stations. And once the last one activates and he makes to return to his nest, basking in his triumph…I will take his head as well as his title. And with this…" Zelus suddenly reached into his sash to retrieve an object, and then lifted his hand to show a beautiful, jewel-like orb to his fellow deity, "…Chen's little going away present, I will absorb the Natural Elements roosting inside his headless corpse and then transfer their powers to me."

"The Amber…" Athena breathed, taking in the magical, fossilized tree resin clutched between the male deity's fingers. "Father had been synthesizing and using apothecary formulae in order to stabilize the orb for years… But he never said his research was completed…" She frowned and shook her head. "It's much too dangerous to use, Zelus. The consequences could be deadly. And who's to say if your body is even capable of handling an additional four elements? The whole process could be suicide!"

Ever firm and resolute, Zelus gave a confident bark of laughter and tucked the Amber back into his sash. "Don't take me for a fool, Athena. Though you and Chen may've been close, he entrusted the Amber's continued research to me, knowing my precious goals in life. He wished for me to achieve them, though why was beyond me. I'm just glad he didn't prove a hindrance to my aspirations… But regardless, I made sure it's ready. Sadly, however, once it takes on the power of the Natural Elements, its magical properties will dissolve, reducing it to nothing more than plain old amber. Therefore, it can only be used once and never again."

"Zelus…" Athena searched the wind master's gaze, watching as the dark poison lifted from the green—fortitude and zeal causing the golden flecks to return. Determination or obstinacy? Focus or obsession? Why was it so hard for her to tell the difference now? But more than that, if what Zelus had said were true, then why couldn't he understand Chen's reasoning? Was it so difficult to fathom a father's love and his wanting to ensure his children were happy and achieved their goals? And doing everything in his power to help?

A great concern weighed heavy on her heart. For in spite of Zelus' words, his dreams seemed extremely risky. For it was obvious he was trying to go against fate. He wasn't born with the Natural Elements inside him like the green ninja was. So to try to obtain such power superficially had disaster written all over it. But then again…hadn't they all gone against fate? They were all supposed to be dead, after all, and yet here they all were with blood and breath coursing healthily through them.

Athena's conflicted musings dispersed, however, when Zelus unexpectedly released her wrist and instead cradled her left cheek, his cold, gloved thumb sliding across the woman's elongated scar. She inhaled a quick and startled breath as her perplexed, steel blues met the green and peppered gold irises once more.

"Hmm…do you fear for my safety, O Wrathful Queen?" He whispered huskily. "When only a few moments ago you threatened to pummel me to death?"

At the slight thinning of his eyes, Athena knew right then and there that the male deity was patronizing her. But even as she knew this, her body still became hot and her cheeks instantly warmed with a blush. Mortified, she opened her mouth to argue, but only managed to stutter out a few discombobulated words. "N-No! That's—that's not… What are you…?"

"Hmm…?" Zelus' thumb caressed her cheek a second time. And he even went as far as to curl his other arm around her waist. Athena gasped at her comrade's sudden advance, her blush darkening and making her scar turn stark white against her chocolaty skin again. She was being teased—toyed with! Zelus was a bastard and a hundred times worse than Dionysus! If Dionysus was an asshole, then Zelus was the KING of Assholes! If Dionysus was a shitlord, then Zelus was the ALMIGHTY Shitlord!

Becoming flustered and increasingly annoyed by the deity before her, as well as her body's accumulated heat, Athena wretched herself free with an angry shout. Harsh pants escaped through her gritted teeth as she glared with obvious abhor at Zelus' utter display of aloofness. For there was absolutely no shame or regret for what he just did. And what made the happening even more resentful, was the inexplicable shiver that wracked Athena's body as the icy air hit her heated skin. Because…though as condescending as it was, the wind master's embrace had provided momentary warmth.

Athena sucked her teeth and played off her embarrassment the best she could by dusting off some imaginary lint from her blue and white tank top. She was more upset with herself really, for her treacherous body had betrayed her yet again in the face of Zelus' pompous antics. It was happening too much as of late too… And she hadn't the stomach to understand why her body reacted the way it did, or why her heart both fluttered with joy and pounded with nervousness. But one thing was for sure… She didn't like it. She absolutely didn't like it.

Having collected herself, she gave her fellow deity her half-hearted attention and shrugged. "While your intuition may be a possibility, it's only that. There is no guarantee the green ninja or any ninja will show. What if the military sends someone or an entire squad to investigate the relay stations?"

"Not a bad assumption," Zelus began steadily. "But if the Ninja are following Sensei Wu's teachings, then their hearts will bleed for the weaker mortals. The red-eyed little shit will come."

Athena tucked a few stray braids back behind her ear in a nonchalant manner, while in essence she was very much intrigued. "You sound like you know that from experience…"

It was a subtle invitation to elaborate, but it soon became apparent that her comment was readily ignored. "It's getting louder and more annoying out here… How long until this meteor shower finishes?"

Athena tried not to let her disappointment show. If only the asshole wasn't so secretive all the time. It wasn't like he was anti-social or anything, for he had most definitely interacted with all of them over the past eight years. He trained with them, he sparred with them. They all shared their meals together and spent time socializing when missions weren't being handed out. But as for getting to know Zelus on a deep, emotional level, it seemed strictly forbidden. The other deities knew very little about the Master of Wind's past, which was a shame because they all had been curious since he had one.

Zelus was different in this regard. Unlike the other deities who had been under Chen's care since they were babies, Zelus spent seventeen whole years of his life without them. What did he do during this time? Where were his parents? Did he have parents? How did he die? Why did he die? Just how did he live his previous life? And…what was his birth name…? None of these questions were ever answered, not even Apollo knew much about Zelus regardless of how close they've become. Dionysus had lost interest and Persephone as well. Eros had tried to pester more details out of him, but after a not-so-gentle retaliation on Zelus' part, the saucy blond backed off too. Morpheus like Athena on the other hand, never lost his curiosity. And although, the former had the power to delve into peoples' minds, he respected all his friends' privacy. Well…to a certain extent anyway…

Sweet little brother…

Athena was really starting to worry about the youngest of their family. Morpheus' powers kept changing—developing and adding on to what he could already do. First was the manipulation of Sand, which was the core of his elemental prowess. But then he had unexpectedly developed clairvoyance when he was only seven years old. He had suffered throughout the following years with bouts of chronic migraines. With Chen and the rest of the family doing all they could to soothe his aches and pains. And Morpheus had bravely endured and thankfully, became accustomed to his newfound power. It was then that Chen had announced the youngest as the Family Seer. But it hadn't stopped there… At fourteen, telepathy came next, and with it more agonizing pain for Morpheus to go through. Chen had adjusted his training regimen then—something that challenged more of the mind instead of the body. And through continued perseverance, force of will, and loving support from the clan, which included Zelus at the time (even if it was half-assed), Morpheus steadily recovered and mastered even that new aspect of his power as well.

And now, right on time…seven years later on his 21st birthday, which occurred five months ago in July, another more mysterious power had engulfed the young Egyptian. Dreams. But not just ordinary dreams obviously, dreams that gave glimpses into the past, present, and future. Athena didn't know all the specifics of Morpheus' new ability, as the Family Seer had yet to master it completely. But something had happened to Apollo. When they had all reunited upon Lord Clouse's command to retreat from New Ninjago City, the Master of Sound and Lightning had been completely livid at Morpheus for interrupting his fight with the blue ninja or "blue bastard" from what the musician had snarled, for apparently he had shown Apollo a "meaningless dream".

An argument had quickly ensued between the couple, with Morpheus blurting out that he couldn't just stand by and watch as two brothers—twin brothers murdered each other in cold blood, even if it wasn't his right to interfere. Athena remembered the deathly silence that had followed. Apollo's mask… Ever since the day he had learned of Chen's murder from Clouse and the fact that he resembled one of the Ninja responsible for their father's death, had caused him to hate the way he looked. He had vowed to kill Jay Walker then, and donned a white mask to seal that promise.

It was easy to deduce why Apollo had classified Morpheus' interference as a "meaningless dream". He didn't want to find out he was actually related to one of Chen's killers. And the way the blue ninja had been left "traumatized from the experience"…

"Onna…I don't like being ignored…"

Athena promptly rolled her eyes at her brusque companion. Asshole…now you know how I feel…she scoffed mentally. But, whatever. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate on her element, sending her mind to distant cosmos of space and the orbit around Ninjago's sphere. The assault was still happening in earnest, meteors turned meteorites careening through the atmosphere all over the world.

She opened her eyes and looked at Zelus passively. "It will be a while before the shower reaches its climax, maybe another two hours or so."

Zelus nodded. "Fine. You will stay with me until then. Your only role is keeping the relay stations safe from destruction. Leave the green ninja to me. Don't interfere."

Oooooo, the nerve of this man! How dare he order her around as if she was beneath him! She opened her mouth to snap at him that she wasn't his goddamn servant, when he suddenly broke into laughter. She gawked at him for a long moment, wondering why this particular round of guffaws wasn't nearly as sinister as all his others. Why did he sound genuinely pleased and content all of a sudden?

Athena withheld a flinch as his fingers touched her chin and pushed upward to close her gaping mouth. She blinked up at him confusedly, suddenly willing for him to remove his mask so that she could see the entirety of his face. His eyes were…slightly less menacing for some reason… But why?

"You wouldn't make a very good ninja, Athena," he said. "Your emotions play across your face too easily, allowing everyone to see what lurks within the depths of your heart. That's dangerous, as well as foolish. You never know who could be watching."

Athena only continued to stare silently at Zelus. His cool, gloves fingers moved…again to her left cheek, a caress to her scar. "For instance, when you zoned-out, you were clearly thinking about the others—or fretting to be more precise, especially about Morpheus and Apollo. Tell me I'm wrong."

Athena's heart pounded hard in her chest, and she abruptly turned away from the other deity. She bit her lip to stifle a grimace of sadness. It just wasn't fair. How come she wasn't allowed to get close to him, while he just stood there and read her like a book? Eight years… For eight fucking years she had tried to get him to open up—to share a little bit about himself. But all of her attempts had been cruelly met with a door being slammed in her face. Figuratively and literally speaking. Was she lacking something? Was she worthy of his friendship, but not of his trust? And if so…what was she to do about it?

"…Don't worry. The others said they refused to leave without us. So soon we'll all be able to return home…together. So rest easy, O Wrathful Queen."

What? Was he really trying to cheer her up now? A small, rueful smile graced the woman's lips. Zelus really was an asshole… But he was an asshole she cared about… That much she couldn't deny. She inclined her head in a brief nod, letting the other know she had heard him. A somewhat comfortable silence ensued then. Well…as much silence as could be wrought what with the havoc of the shooting stars in all.

"…Persephone's not cooking tonight, is she?" Zelus suddenly asked, a hint of wariness in his voice.

Athena smiled and wrapped her arms around herself, the cold finally starting to get to her. "No," she replied shortly.

"Good. …Who is then? You?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The wind howled again, but somehow Athena felt a little bit warmer. And so the two deities watched and waited amongst the falling stars. They watched and waited amidst the destruction for the appearance of the Green Ninja of Creation.

Author's Note: Hmm…I think I made it pretty obvious who Zelus is, right? XP Please leave your thoughts!