Author's Note: Hey, I'm back again! I noticed that some of you had reached out to me to check and see how I was doing, and I really appreciate it! I'm still alive and kicking! I've just been very busy, unfortunately. However, with the holiday break coming soon and having no plans until Christmas, I'm going to have much more time to write in the following weeks! Hell yeah!
Unexpected is only about halfway done. I've mapped out all future chapters and surmised that this book will be about 60 chapters. So I'm hyped to get to writing regularly while I can!
Unexpected
By: Mad Betrayal
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born…"—Anais Nin
Chapter 34 ~ That First Big Step
Abandoned cars covered in dust, debris and snow lined the street. The fog thickened as the entourage of orange suits trooped on towards the heart of the ruined city. Somehow, it felt colder. The sun's rays could barely seep through the haze, giving the surrounding area a ghostly appearance with its pastel grays and murky tones.
It was silent—unnervingly so. Just the loud cacophony of boots against the gravel-rived pavement echoed through the air. Idle chatter had ceased an hour ago. Now there was only vigilance—from soldier, ninja, and even scientist alike. Kai looked around him, his golden-amber eyes bright and alert behind the clear visor. The soldiers had fanned out a bit to cover the entirety of the street, per Lieutenant Steiner's orders. Now their formation looked more like a loose diamond of sort he'd wager.
Nya had chosen to remain up front with Ada. Kai smirked a bit. He bet it was nice to finally chat with another female after being cooped up with nothing but guys for so long. And not only that, Ada was a strong woman like she was, so no wonder they would click. Maybe after all of this was over, they'd keep in contact with each other? Might be a nice change of pace for his little sis…in more ways than one…
Or maybe she's just up there to be the first to hear if anything should happen to Jay or Cole…
Kai at once felt a storm of emotions surge within him as his thoughts lingered on his ninja brothers. His heart went out to his brothers' well-beings, of course. But there was also a fire of rage burning inside him when he thought of the cause of his brothers' wounds. It's been awhile since the fire ninja had had a good scrap with a strong opponent. And truth be told, he was revving for one of if not all of the Seven Deities to reveal themselves.
His flaming core stirred as he once more scanned the skies and dilapidated buildings, searching for a break in the fog and the shadow of a potential adversary in the winter mist.
"The fog is thickening," Zane uttered from his left, his long gait keeping him abreast of the red ninja."If it continues to fester, visibility will be compromised."
"Yeah, but we could also use that to our advantage if anything were to go down."
"So could any enemies out there," Lloyd supplied from Kai's right, his expression calm and focused. "Or in here…"
It was a grim reminder of both Zane's sixth sense and Brad's precognition. Though Lieutenant Steiner proved her mettle in maintaining an orderly bunch, the ambience still crackled with unresolved tension. The altercation caused by Dr. Heinz had brought about a modicum of discord. And with the doctor doing absolutely nothing to hide his animosity towards both the clan and Ada, Kai knew this semblance of peace wasn't going to last long. Not if that tight-faced, orange telephone pole had anything to say about it. Guys like that just didn't stay quiet for long.
Suddenly, the sea of orange came to a halt. And from Kai's height advantage, he could just make out an entourage of four suits climb a mound of debris that overlooked the area to address them. It was Lieutenant Steiner, two of her soldiers, and Nya.
The taller of the two ravenettes stepped forward. Damn… For a woman of such a petite stature, Kai was impressed that Ada's voice could ring out as loud and fierce as it did.
"Alright! This is where we will split up into groups to search the entire perimeter. Amami, Gomez, Dantes, take your designated three-man teams and search the stores on this block. Any fresh supplies we can bring back to the Honeycomb would be heaven-sent. Ninja!" The lieutenant's sharp, honeyed gaze found Kai and his clan quickly at the back.
"You all are tasked with scouting further up. We need to know what's going on beyond the fog—towards the skyline. The alien plants fly high. Thus, so must we."
Movement. From the corner of his eye, Kai saw one of his clansmen shift to turn away from the front. The clear visor revealed Brad's harried face. But before the other could take a step, another grabbed him by the arm. Lloyd. The green ninja's voice was a terse whisper as he spoke hurriedly to his former classmate, and Kai caught the words, "It'd be rude to just leave" and "represent the clan" before he turned his attention back to Ada.
If the Lieutenant saw Brad's turned back, she didn't speak of it and continued evenly. Her gaze held Kai's. "From what Nya says and from my own experience of bearing witness to the feats of the Nomad Clan, you ninja have little to no trouble traversing difficult terrain." Sharpened honey lifted from molten gold and scoured the rest of the orange suits. "The rest of us will settle and make camp there, in that parking lot."
Seemingly all at once, heads swiveled towards the direction Ada pointed. Beyond a wreckage of overturned cars—with a few being smashed in by streetlights—lay an expanse of a fairly decent parking lot. Though the streets were chinked with cracks and littered with abandoned shopping carts (some filled with purchased merchandise), it fared better than what he'd seen so far.
However, the same couldn't be said about the department store beyond it. The building itself had been split haphazardly in two, most likely during the earthquakes that had followed the shower. Fissures leveled the foundation, making one side of the store lopsided and taller than the other half. The large windows had been blown out and fractured glass lay scattered as far as to the sidewalk from which the group stood.
"Gibson, you will lead a squad back to our vans to retrieve them and the rest of our equipment. Now that we have a HQ for the time being, you should be able to find a way back to us via GPS." Murmurs of excitement and content arose from the mass of scientists nestled protectively in the middle of the diamond. With a suitable plan conjured, more of the lingering tensions dispersed from the group. Kai noticed that even Dr. Heinz's shoulders gradually lost their rigidity.
Ada's authoritative posture didn't waver as she dismissed the group with a firm nod, saying that everyone was to keep in radio contact and that she expected everyone back within three hours. And like any well-trained squadron, the soldiers separated accordingly to carry out their missions. Liam suddenly turned to face Kai and the rest, a somewhat rueful smile planted on his lips.
"Well, I'm in Gibson's group, so I guess I'll be seeing you guys later." He looked warily off to the side towards a huddle of soldiers and sighed. If Kai had to guess, he would think that Liam didn't exactly get along well with some of the soldiers and was hoping to stay with them.
Kai smirked a bit. He was starting to feel a slight kinship with the freckled soldier, if only through his admiration of Jay. But like Ada and Aaron, Kai was more than willing to bring new people outside the clan into his circle of friends. And it seemed that Zane shared his sentiment, as he stepped forward wearing a congenial smile.
"We all must go where we are needed, Liam. Please be safe."
A fairer smile lighted the young soldier's face at Zane's words. "Will do. Thanks, Zane."
Kai offered Liam a reassuring pat on the shoulder whilst giving the two younger members of his clan a sidelong glance. As time passed, Brad only looked more anxious and distracted than before, his eyes focused on the sky and searching endlessly. Kai wouldn't be surprised if the raven hadn't heard a word Liam or Zane had said.
Lloyd on the other hand, though not nearly as distracted as Brad, didn't offer any parting words to Liam. While keeping a steady hand on his friend, the only thing the green ninja offered to the soldier was a nonchalant if not slightly disgruntled expression. Kai mentally rolled his eyes at the blond's behavior.
Was Lloyd really still so bent out of shape about Liam having a crush on Jay? Yes, while it's been proven that Lloyd held Jay at high regard as his beloved "kaasan", his protectiveness over the blue ninja as of late was slowly but surely getting out of hand. Kai felt he needed to address this problem sooner rather later, if only in an effort to assure there wouldn't be any confusion and hurt feelings in the future.
Not to mention if Lloyd got wind of Cole's feelings for Jay…
Kai once again cursed that potion that had made Lloyd age faster than he was meant to. He cast a quick glance at the oblivious raven. With the reunion of a childhood friend and Jay's role as a mother-figure, and Lloyd harboring deep feelings for both people, the green ninja's inexperienced hormones were more than likely having a field day and jerking him around in ecstatic glee without a care.
The Ninja of Fire made sure to steel himself for both the present and the future.
Looking to Liam again, he gently nudged the young soldier towards his squad. "See ya later, man."
Lime green eyes met his gaze briefly before Liam gave a small nod and walked away. As more of the orange suits dispersed, Kai caught the sight of Nya talking with Lieutenant Steiner near the mound of rubble. Perhaps feeling her brother's gaze, Nya lifted her head for a moment and gestured with a wave of her hand before returning her attention to the female soldier.
Kai got the message and turned to his lingering clansmen. "Nya's gonna stay and help Ada—"
Brad whirled to face him. "We can go then?"
Kai cocked an eyebrow at the younger's wide eyes, taking astute notice of how the aquamarines dimmed and brightened in a pulsating rhythm. "Y-Yeah…" he said slowly. Kai really didn't know whether or not to be alarmed, so just decided to play it cool. For the time being. He directed his gaze overhead. "We just need to get above this fog. Find a good building to scale."
"Follow me."
At once, Brad took off at a light jog down the street from whence they came. Lloyd looked like he wanted to yell after him, but instead bit his lip and simply gave chase with Kai and Zane at his heels. Whether or not following Brad was a good idea remained to be seen. Brad's precognition could be in play, or maybe it was just his intuition. For now, Kai would go with his gut—his instinct, just as he always had.
The silence of the once great metropolis was unnerving, making the loud clacks of their boots upon the pavement a welcome respite from the melancholic quiet. The distant voices of the orange suits became mere whispers the further the group traveled. And when Brad ducked under a splintered lamppost and turned into a darkened alleyway, they became silent.
Brad's steady pace slowed to a staggering gait as minutes ticked on, until he stopped altogether and leaned heavily against the edge of a dumpster. His breath alone echoed in the billowing mist of the alleyway, with each of his ragged pants strengthening the worry within the stronger males.
Lloyd approached his struggling friend with a cautious air and spoke gently as if to placate a temperamental child. "…Brad—"
"I'm fine," the other gasped, his tone curt as he sucked in another breath.
"Rely on your friends when you need help," Zane advised wisely. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I know. I know that. But let me do this. Please, let me at least do this."
Brad straightened, his pensive gaze skirting beyond Lloyd and resting on Kai and Zane. Kai's brow puckered. Brad had gotten pale again. The physical exertion—regardless of how light it was—was putting a strain on his still healing body. All the raven had ever done was walk since he'd awaken twelve days ago. So for him to start suddenly jogging now must've sent off some alarms in his body.
But despite the warning signs in front of him, Kai had to respect the raven's conviction to improve, however minuscule. He needed to make a first step. And to Brad, this was his first big step—to lead them to the Mana Cetra.
When Brad seemed to have gotten his second wind, Kai said firmly, "Lead on then."
Brad's next breath was slow and even, his eyes practically glowing with appreciation. "Right." And with another exhale, he turned and bounded away. There was almost an imperceptible bounce to his gait as he resumed his light jog.
Kai noticed Lloyd's despondent look and elbowed his close friend playfully. "Remind you of anyone?"
At the hint, the green ninja's lips quirked up a bit, though his overall worry remained. "I know I just…" the smile fell and his gaze returned to Brad's back, the distance between the two lengthening, "…care."
When Lloyd loped away to catch his childhood friend, Zane stepped close to Kai. "An exponential amount," he whispered, his voice like smooth silk to the red ninja's ears.
Kai chuckled and grabbed hold of Zane's hand to bring it to his lips…only to be disdainfully reminded of his visor and the overall intrusion of their decontamination suits. Kai sneered, even as Zane's soft chortles ignited his soul with their beautiful cadence.
"I hate these suits…"
Zane wrapped his arm around Kai's waist and nuzzled him, making Kai growl at the injustice of it all. "Soon, dearest… Soon…"
Kai's breath caught in his throat. Zane had never called him that before! Cheeks aflame, he turned to regard the other, but the white ninja glided from his side and stepped in the direction of their now distanced members. Zane's smile wasn't coy by any means. Yet, there was something about it that sent fire directly to Kai's loins.
Before he knew what he was doing, he called desperately to the Master of Ice, flummoxed. "Hey! You can't just do that, Zane! You can't just say something like that and then dance away! You're supposed to say something like that when the two of us are half-naked in a dark room with the door locked! Not while we're in a post-apocalyptic-looking city with stupid space suits on!"
With that same "normal" smile still tugging on his lips, Zane turned away from Kai completely. "Do not fall too far behind, Kai," he said, matter-of-fact.
When Zane sprinted away, Kai almost felt compelled to fly after him and tackle the ice prince to the ground and demand some form of physical gratification. But he took a deep, calming breath instead, his exhale splashing a puff of white on his annoying, clear visor.
The fire inside cooled—if only slightly—and Kai smirked, dangerous and wicked. Golden-amber eyes zeroed-in on the tall, lithe figure ahead, forgoing the insidious orange suit and scouring underneath and over the pale and pearl body he had only caught a glimpse of this morning during Zane's exodus from the bathroom with a simple, white towel wrapped around his waist. Silver and platinum, gravity-defying locks hanging sodden and limp with the weight of water… Drip….drip…drip…
Zane was going to be the death of him, but he'd be damned if he didn't die happy.
"Oh yes, Diamond…" Kai murmured, his tone a low and sultry purr. "Very, very soon…"
*~XxX~*
Surprisingly, Brad didn't venture back out onto open street. He stayed in the alleyways and Kai and others followed obediently. There were numerous twists and turns. Brad would dart down a corridor one moment, go a ways, then suddenly veer and dart down another. Kai was distractedly reminded of a rat scurrying through a maze with only its instincts and sense of smell to guide it.
But where was the cheese?
And why were they still on the ground to begin with? Weren't they supposed to be traveling up? Why were they bypassing so many buildings that looked—though damaged and cruddy—perfectly fine for a quick hike up? Kai was really beginning to question their choice to follow Brad. The way the raven ducked and weaved between buildings looked more like he was trying to lose someone in a chase rather than to lead them all somewhere.
But Lloyd hadn't spoken out to question Brad. And neither has Zane.
And although there had been times where Brad had showed signs of slowing—perhaps in fatigue, he would suddenly take off again before Kai could get a word in, only tossing up a hurried, "This way" or "Not much farther". Thus, Kai had regrettably kept his mouth shut.
But surely Cole would've said something by now if he was here, he thought irritably. He could easily picture the tall and muscular earth ninja putting a halt to any fruitless trekking and questioning Brad with a hard, stern frown. And Jay especially couldn't have kept quiet for any stretch of minutes…
A fond smile fleeted across Kai's lips at the mere thought of his optimistically witty younger brother. His snarky comments and good-natured humor had always concealed a more subdued and reserved side that Kai had started to see more and more of since Jay's break-up with Nya. Over the last week and a half he had found himself having to nudge the Master of Lightning out of whatever dazed stupor he'd been in.
Those once expressive blue eyes had become shadowed and congealed. Kai silently hoped Cole and Jay were working out their problems. Because if they weren't, Kai was more than prepared to roll up his sleeves and straighten them out himself.
"Here! Haa…this is it. This is the place!"
Brad's loud gasp thundered through Kai's mind and he and the other's came to skidding halt behind the winded raven. Kai looked over Brad's head to take in the building they had stopped alongside. Though it had been speculated that a few sections of the city may've been spared from the meteorites' pummeling, this building in particular stood immaculately unscathed. And as Kai took in its height and sturdy brick structure, the building—no, apartment complex looked only frightfully abandoned.
Along the curving sidewalk they trekked upon lay a toppled tricycle, a jump rope, and other kid's toys. Kai even spied the chalk drawing of a hop-scotch diagram. Christmas lights weaved carefully around the railings leading to the apartment's stoop, where a tastefully decorated reef hung in the center of a shiny green door. And sitting on the stoop's steps were two discarded coffee mugs, perhaps once or still filled with hot chocolate or tangy, warm apple cider to help keep the winter chill at bay.
Was that how it happened? Had two parents sat on the stoop's steps during the twilight hours of yesterday, watching their rambunctious kids frolic and play at their behest, because they weren't tired or too excited to go to sleep and had asked to play for a little while longer? And during that happy and peaceful moment, did the blaring and loud drone of the evacuation alarm cut through their lives and fear and panic set in?
Is that when the rain started to fall?
With a harsh exhale, Brad suddenly hunched over to brace his hands on his knees. Each of his breathes came quick and fast, but Zane stepped forward to cajole.
"Stand up straight, Brad, and place your hands on top your head with your elbows out. This will allow more air to circulate through your lungs unhindered."
Brad noticeably perked up at Zane's coaching and readily did what he was told. Zane continued to instruct the younger in a mild tone. "Good. Now, take slow, deep breathes. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Your heart rate will become steady shortly. Good…"
Lloyd stood tense and awkward at Brad's side, looking torn between wanting to add his own words of advice and encouragement, but too unsure of himself to do so. Kai observed this with a raised eyebrow, wondering how long the blond was going to lock himself in inner turmoil. Damn, he knew he should've had a chat with Lloyd about the birds and bees when he had first noticed the green ninja's lovestruck behavior towards Brad. But, he hadn't wanted to deprive Sensei Garmadon of his parental right.
Then again, given the type of woman Sensei Garmadon had conceived Lloyd with—the kind to leave her son on Darkley's doorsteps with neither a note, or a name for Lloyd to cling onto, or anything—he probably didn't have much wisdom to share. And that went doubly for Sensei Wu, since he had pined for that exact same woman. And most likely still did.
Kai couldn't think of worst role models to have in the romance department. The Master of Fire rolled his eyes. Sound stupidly familiar…?
It took a few minutes of idle standing for Brad to get some of his color back again. Taking a deliberately careful step, he called to the others. "Let's go around the back. We'll get up to the roof by the fire escape."
Brad kept one hand on the outer fencing of rails as he trudged on, and the three ninja were keener on the raven's haggard pace than anything else. At last, when the group arrived at the back of the building and set their sights on the crisp and maintained fire escape, Brad stumbled forward. And on pins and needles, Lloyd caught his friend and held him close to his side.
"Heh heh, clumsy…" Brad muttered and tried to right himself, but Lloyd shook his head with a frown.
"No you're not. You're exhausted."
Kai placed a hand on his hip. "Not surprising either, considering how you were bobbing and weaving through those alleyways."
"That was…necessary."
Was it…? Kai thought, doubtful. They had traveled quite far from HQ to arrive at this apartment complex. The crimson ninja took a moment to survey the area and was once again astonished at the pure, unadulterated luck this building had at being spared of any destruction. However, the surrounding buildings had not been so fortunate and were damaged beyond repair by anyone's guess.
And Brad led them here… Perhaps they had made the right choice after all.
Kai turned to his opposite. "Zane, do you know where we are?"
Zane's answer was immediate. "We are approximately four point eight kilometers southwest of HQ. We only have one hour and thirty-two minutes left before we are due back to rendezvous at HQ."
Brad's wide, aquamarine eyes fiercely narrowed with determination, and he tried to pull away from Lloyd. "C'mon, we have to get up—"
"Do you remember that time you had sprained your ankle at Darkley's?"
Brad snapped his head back to Lloyd. "What?"
"Do you remember that time you had sprained your ankle at Darkley's?" Lloyd repeated, his expression neutral.
Brad's brow crinkled a bit and he nodded. "Y-Yes, but that was your fault."
Lloyd's face turned indignant. "How was it my fault when you were the one that sneezed and blew yourself off that cliff?"
"T-That was," Brad started, his pale cheeks flushing with pink.
"And you kept rolling and rolling and rolling down the hill…"
"You don't hafta go into detail!" Brad huffed, and Lloyd smiled fondly. His arms kept themselves settled around his friend's torso.
"I was anxious to get to you."
Brad averted his gaze from the other's affectionate one, his blush darkening. "I…I know. I remember you kept shouting my name."
"Do you remember what happened after that?" Lloyd pressed gently.
Brad closed his eyes for a moment and then turned back to his former classmate. "My ankle was hurting terribly, and I couldn't walk. You told me to get on your back, so that you could take me to the nurse's office. And I did. You were so strong, Lloyd. And now…you're even stronger." Growing increasingly despondent, bright aquas lowered. "I don't think I'll ever be able to catch up to you."
"You will. Trust me," Lloyd encouraged, using his finger to tilt Brad's head back up. Crimson and aquamarine met squarely. "And today was a great, first step. You got us here, Brad."
"Lloyd's right, Brad," Kai inferred with a smirk. "Good job."
"Yes," Zane chimed in. "Excellent work, Brad. You are on your way."
Brad's cheeks flushed with a different shade of pink this time, embarrassed by the earnest praise.
"I'm just sorry I hounded you," Lloyd continued. "I just didn't want you to overexert yourself. I just…" Brad looked back at him, hooked on his words and to the soft glow of the green ninja's own cheeks. "I understand, Brad, I really do I just…don't…want you to forget about me."
Kai sighed exasperatedly, but Zane elbowed him into silence.
Brad's enraptured expression fell. "Forget about you?" He said, incredulous. "Lloyd, you're the reason why I'm alive and well today! I could never forget about you! I never once did…"
The deep blush that blossomed on Lloyd's slack-jawed face was comical to Kai, but he kept his chuckles to himself. The two youngest stared at each other for a lengthy amount of time before they slowly started to move closer, inch by inch.
Kai bit hard into his bottom lip.
Their eyelids had just begun to flutter close until…their visors collided with a soft tap. The hypnotic spell broken, the two boys recoiled from each other in shock and embarrassment. And Kai, not able to hold it in any longer, burst out in uncontrollable laughter. And no repercussions were forthcoming from Zane as even the white ninja turned his head away and chuckled.
While Brad covered his red face with his hands in mortification, Lloyd gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly at his side. "Let's just go," he growled contemptuously. "Damn these stupid suits…"
Kai only laughed harder.
Author's Note: Poor Lloyd doesn't know how to express his emotions well. Good thing Kai WILL have that chat with him in the future! Hope you all enjoyed!