*Author's Note: Hey all! I'm so so sorry I've been updating so slowly D: School is REALLY crazy right now, so I rarely ever have free time. Hopefully y'all can forgive me :p I'd also like to pay a couple of seconds for our world, and for the country of Belgium. We are all with you, and my heart goes out to all of you. Stay strong, my friends. Anyways, we're starting this chapter off differently! Morro sequence starts now! Enjoy! You guys will hopefully love this chapter! Leave your thoughts please.*
Night had fallen in the cursed realm. The halls were quiet, the only sound among them being the guard's feet. The night had gone without screaming from Morro, or any other disturbances from the inmates. The guards could breath easily in the night, they could relax without having to worry about the jailed beings. In the night, when they were all sleeping, was the only time the guards could rest.
However, the guards were not aware that there was an inmate that was still awake, sitting in the shadows of his cell, hiding himself from view as he watched the unsuspecting guards walk by. They were not aware of the chaos that was about to ensue from this man, on what seemed to be a calm and quiet night. The man stared at each guard that walked by with an analyzing glare, trying to formulate a way to slip out of his cell unnoticed. A task that would be hard to complete, seeing as how well the jail was fortified to the brim with security measures.
Now, to be honest, Morro wasn't exactly sure as to how he was going to escape and get to the men's bathroom on the third floor. He hadn't really thought it through, being guided purely by the adrenaline pumping in his veins; the adrenaline caused by the idea of going back home. The excited high he was experiencing was drowning out his usual sly and smart critical thinking.
There was a possibility that the Overlord had been lying to him. There was a possibility that the Overlord was drawing Morro into a trap, using his cynical mind to do cynical things. But Morro wasn't thinking straight, not even considering the possibility that the Overlord was lying. He was too driven with the idea of going back home, a fantasy that could become reality in less than an hour. After twenty long years, Morro could be going back to his beloved Ninjago. To the city, to the villages, to the dry deserts and expansive beaches; to the world he had fallen in love with so long ago.
He needed to go back, he had to. There was no other thing left for him in his life, there was nothing he wanted to do more than to go back home. He needed to go back and live in the world he belonged in. He needed to go back and prove his teacher his worth. He needed to go back and show the impostor boy who had the real power. To defeat the boy that was in the place that he was supposed to be in. The hero that he was promised he was going to be.
Anger boiled softly at this thought, his title of being the hero of his beloved homeland swiftly taken away from him. And from what he had heard, taken away from him by a small boy, who didn't even know how to throw a punch. A puny boy took the place of Morro, someone who deserved to be the all powerful more than anyone else. Especially more than a runt.
His eyes drifted around his cell, looking for something that could help him escape. He didn't expect to find much, seeing as how the jail was filled with equipment that stopped such escapes from happening. If he hadn't found a plan of escape in his twenty years of living in the same cell, he doubted his ability to find one now.
That was, until he felt a soft gust of air from up above him.
Morro gazed up at the ceiling from his spot in the shadows. The faint flow of air was coming from the vent in the ceiling, something he never thought he could use in order to escape. Until now.
The vent was small, yes, but Morro didn't plan on climbing in it. It didn't matter how small the vent was, his power could work through even the tiniest of holes. A grin seeped onto his features at how beautiful this escape was going to be. The guards would have never seen it coming. Of course they wouldn't expect it, they had no idea that Morro could control the winds coming from that simple, small air vent in the concrete ceiling.
The hardest part now was to summon his powers. Something he didn't know if he could do, seeing as how he had not used his powers in roughly two decades.
There was a faint flutter in his heart, as he lightly summoned his power, pulling at the air around his fingertips. It had been so long since he had manipulated the air; his lungs swelled at the feeling of such power, a feeling of relief and confidence coursing through every part of his being. Part of himself was reawakening once more, and it was the most empowering feeling he had had in a long time.
The power was almost overwhelming, but some way, he was able to control it. There was no guard passing by to see a pair of emerald, glowing eyes in the shadows, bright with strength and malignant intent.
In a test of his reawakened power, he flexed his fingers, and pointed them at the small metal vent. Very slowly, trying not to go too fast and release an overly powerful gust, he turned his hand in the air as if he was turning a doorknob. The air was easily manipulated, and he was easily able to to send a steady, soft gust into the vent.
The vent whistled softly as the extra flow of wind was added. It was a quiet whistle, nothing loud enough to alarm anyone. His wind needed more power, if his plan was at all going to work.
Morro gritted his teeth as he tried to control his power, trying his best to boost the power level of the gust without letting it spiral out of his control. The vent screeched louder at the added power. Inmates began to awake in confusion, beginning to notice the screeching sound that was not usually there. Luckily, the guards had yet to hear the disturbance.
That was, until the air duct suddenly made a deafening pop, bursting from all the added pressure. The broken air pipe sent Morro's torrential winds through the inmate's air vents, throwing the inmates off their feet, slamming into the concrete walls of their cells. Guards yelled in surprise, rushing about, trying to figure out a way to fix the problem.
Morro smirked at the chaos ensuing around him. Everything was going according to plan. No one was aware of the boy with the luminescent green eyes, slipping out of his jail cell and escaping under the noses of the hysterical authorities.
He started to run down the hall, away from the hectic scrambling, his feet softly padding against the floor as he did so. No inmates saw him escaping, and if they did, none of them cared or felt the need to call him out.
His running slowed as he came to the end of the hall, approaching two silver swinging doors, heavy and loud due to their metal composure. It was of great importance to make sure that he opened these doors just right. He had to make sure they did not make a noise as he opened them, but he also had to make sure he could do it fast enough, before any guards could see him escaping through the doors.
Morro gritted his teeth as he opened the doors. To his satisfaction, the heavy metal doors did not make a sound, almost as if they wanted him to escape. They shut behind him softly, giving Morro privacy to the concrete stairs. He breathed calmly once. He was almost there, he was almost to his destination. He calmly exhaled, in an effort to steady the coursing adrenaline in his veins.
He then continued onward. Three flights of grey concrete stairs, taking two at a time in order to get to the bathroom as quickly as he could. However, in his anticipation, his steps became louder, his feet sounding heavier, slapping a little more loudly on the ground. Morro took no notice, his thoughts too clouded by his own desires.
He opened the metal doors on the third landing, once he reached them. He was now on a balcony, just another level of the rows of inmates. Morro took a sharp right, disappearing into the dark shadows of the narrow space between the cells and the concrete wall. Once again, no inmates exclaimed at Morro's presence, either because they were asleep, or because they did not care.
A smile spread across his face as his eyes rested on a swinging metal door up ahead in the shadows, a blue stick figure printed on the dirty surface of the door. He eagerly grabbed the handle, and pulled, slipping inside the tiled lavatory, not caring how loud the door closed shut behind him.
"Ah, congratulations, boy. You trusted me." A voice said from one of the stalls. There was no doubt about it, that was the Overlord's voice.
Morro watched as the stall door swung open, revealing inside it the purple mass of evil. Morro eyed the stall frantically, looking for a vortex of some sort, or an alteration of the picture before him, even a trick of the light; anything to indicate there was indeed a dimension break.
But he could not find it.
Anger flared, a signature growl forming on Morro's lips as he glared at the Overlord.
"You tricked me." The teen snarled, his eyes glowing brighter, his powers jumping at the chance to be released.
The Overlord chuckled, shaking his head, and extended a pulsing purple hand towards the grimy grey toilet, "No I did not. Come look."
Morro's anger disappeared, and quickly turned to confusion, as he approached the toilet. Instantly, he recoiled at the sight.
"This must be some sort of joke!" Morro explained. The Overlord laughed at the boy's anguish.
"Not a joke, mortal. This is your precious portal." The being barked, a grin obviously apparent in his voice.
Morro leaned forward again, looking down into the toilet waters. Or, at least, where the water should have been. In the place of the fowl water was an unmoving vortex of pink and baby blue, nestled snug in the bowl of the grimy toilet. The only way to get the vortex swirling and working again was to...
"Let me guess, you have to flush me down the toilet?" Morro asked, a hint of hopeful sarcasm in his voice. The Overlord snorted at this.
"It's your only way out."
Morro grimaced, peering into the bowl once more, when there were sudden shouts, coming from three floors below them. The glowing green eyes bugged in surprise, his heart picking up into a new, galloping speed, knowing the guards had finally found his absence.
"Oh dear," The Overlord drawled, "It seems as though you don't have much time left."
Morro ignored this, and jumped into the toilet, his heart hammering with urgency.
"Flush me." He ordered, trying his best to glare into the Overlord's eyes, or at least, where he thought they were. The guards voices were beginning to get louder as they approached the double doors, three floors below them.
"Before I do, I need to tell you a few key things for when you arrive in Ninjago." The Overlord said, his dark rumble of a voice becoming serious.
"Hurry it, then." Morro growled. He could hear the slapping of polished black shoes on the concrete stairs.
"When you arrive in Ninjago, you'll be in the form of a ghost. As a ghost, you will not be able to do much, and you won't really be able to achieve any evil agendas you make for yourself," The Overlord explained, his hand slowly reaching out for the shiny silver handle of the toilet, "So you're going to want to become a solid being."
"How am I supposed to do something like that?" Morro hissed. The double metal doors of the third floor swung open, but neither of the evil masterminds could hear footsteps coming down the shadowy hallway just yet.
"When I was destroyed by that blonde boy, some evil remnants from me were left behind. Pure evil power, that, if you were able to find, you could use to manifest yourself into a solid form, and strengthen your powers."
"And let me guess. Those powers are spread out all across Ninjago." Morro whispered irritably.
"No, actually. They are located in the center of the city. The location of where I was… Defeated…" The Overlord's voice faded as the first sounds of slapping shoes were heard, coming quickly down the hallway.
"Flush me now." Morro ordered urgently.
The Overlord nodded, and pulled the toilet's silver lever.
"Good Luck." The purple blob muttered, before stepping out of the stall and closing it behind him. Morro watched below him as the vortex began to swirl rapidly, inviting him along.
He took one, deep breath, before dropping his feet into the bowl, suddenly disappearing as he got sucked in, a loud swoosh filling the tilled room.
At that same second, the guards threw open the bathroom door, panting loudly from the exercise they were getting. Their eyes fell onto the odd picture of the Overlord washing his hands. The water fell right through the purple fingers, however, not at all washing him.
"What have you been doing." One of them ordered.
The Overlord looked up from the sink, an invisible smirk gracing his features.
"I've simply just been ensuring a brighter future for the realm of Ninjago."
As most mornings were beginning to unfold, Zane woke up with Cole beside him. It was an odd occurrence that Zane never expected he would enjoy. He had never been one to cuddle, and had never felt the desire to share his sleep with another. But now that he was so experienced in resting with his best friend, Zane couldn't imagine awakening by himself. The warmth that came with sleeping with Cole, the comfort that Cole gave him, was something he never wanted to let go.
As he slowly gained consciousness, Zane became aware of his position with the black-haired man. His cool back was pressed against Cole's warm chest once more, the strong man stuck intimately against him. However, different from the morning of Zane's shut down, Cole was no longer fondling Zane's pajama bottoms. Instead, Cole's arms were wrapped possessively around Zane, holding the nindroid in a tight, yet comfortable grip.
The man had not gotten a lot of sleep the night before. Zane could remember Cole whimpering late into the night, as if he were having nightmares. Cole seemed to have broken apart the night before, losing all his cautious control he worked hard to achieve, shaking the earth with a power Zane had not expected.
The nindroid had wanted to cry too, when he had found that he would not be able to recover from his sorry state. He had wanted to scream, to reach inside him and rip out his wires. He could not be fixed. He would never be able to walk again, never be able to talk.
But for some reason, he did not cry. Not because he was unable to, that wasn't the case. It felt more like he didn't need to. Being in Cole's arms was all the reassurance Zane needed that everything was going to be okay. He did not feel a reason to be sad. In fact, if he had been able to speak, he would've been trying to comfort Cole, instead of feeling sad for himself..
To be honest, Cole wasn't always the best with words. But he always wore his heart on his sleeve, and he more often used his actions to express himself. The night before was a prime example of this. Cole's love and kindness for his friends and family was his strength, but also his greatest weakness.
The shaking of the ground had alarmed Zane, but not because it threatened his life. He knew, as soon as the earthquake hit, that Cole needed his help. The man was breaking, bottling up too many emotions and letting them all out with a single burst, as he always did.
Zane smiled gently, being brought back to the present, as Cole gave a sudden snore in his sleep, sounding quite loud in the nindroid's ear. It was just like him; a sweet boy. A little void of manners, but loving all the same.
However, the smile on Zane's lips slipped off quickly, as his emotions suddenly came to a road block. A halt, as if something was not letting him progress further. It was an odd feeling, to have your emotions suddenly stop forming, as if by a will of their own. The boy frowned as his system would not let him progress further, would not let him delve into the world that was his admiration for Cole. It was as if a large, towering wall was blocking the nindroid from something spectacular, something amazing, that lay just beyond the bricks.
Zane twitched in discomfort, shifting in Cole's strong hold. It was not a good feeling, to have one's own body restrict itself on its own accord. It was almost painful, similar to the feeling of a word resting on the tip of one's tongue, not being able to recall it.
There was a sudden knock on the bedroom door, and Zane quickly shut his eyes, acting as if he had never woken up. Being the man that he was, it was easy for him to fake such things. This was much different from Cole, whose expressions were never hidden well, although the leader liked to think differently.
He felt Cole jerk awake beside him, unwrapping his arms from Zane in alarm, as if he did not want anyone to see him holding Zane so intimately.
Cole squinted at the light invading from the hallway, only registering a fuzzy image of the person in the doorway.
"Cole?" The woman said, squinting her eyes to find the leader in the darkness.
"Mi-Misako? Is everything alright?" Cole questioned in his sleep-drunken haze, sitting up in a clumsy fashion. For some reason Zane could not understand, he found his chest becoming light and fluttery at the sound of Cole's hazy, morning voice. It sent a leap to his stomach, a reaction he did not comprehend.
"Yes, everything's fine. Would you be a dear and come with me for some shopping in the village? My husband doesn't seem to find enjoyment in spending money." Misako whispered in a calming voice, chuckling a little to herself.
"Um.. I guess… What about Zane?" Cole managed, as he slowly crawled out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"I can… I can take care of him." A groggy voice replied in the bunk above. Jay seemed to have awoken as well, disturbed by the light flooding into the room.
Misako chuckled, "You boys are all such zombies in the morning."
She closed the door behind her, giving the two boys their privacy as they dressed themselves into fresh clothes. It was at that same moment that Zane decided to take a tiny peak towards his brothers, something he instantly regretted.
He quickly shut his eyes again, suddenly understanding Cole's dinosaur-like reaction to Zane's half naked figure. It was mesmerizing, the dark bare skin and the rippling muscles, unconsciously flexing at his every move. Cole was a work of art, a sculpture, chiseled to pure perfection. Zane knew that if he touched that bare back, Cole's skin would be warm, silky and soft beneath Zane's chilling touch.
Zane squeezed his eyes tighter, as if he was trying to erase the image he had just witnessed. He knew it was not normal to look at his brother in such fascination, in such admiration. That was how intimate couples looked at each other, not close friends. That much he knew. It was not right, it was not right to desire something as silly as to feel another's skin. He knew, for sure, that being hooked up to the sub-par energy source was doing nothing good for his thought process. There was something very off with him.
Zane listened as Cole left the room, walking down the hall and down the stairs, going off to join Misako on her quest of shopping. Jay watched intently as Cole's figure disappeared, as if he had been waiting for Cole to leave.
Jay nodded once, when Cole was no longer visible, and then proceeded to cup his hands around his mouth, "The coast is clear", He whispered roughly, his sleepy tone having vanished completely.
Zane couldn't help but open his eyes now, interested in what was playing out before him. He watched as Cyrus Borg quickly wheeled into the room, carrying a couple rolled up tubes of Zane's blueprints. Jay quickly closed the door, and the pair of them turned to Zane, as if they were ready to prey on their next victim of their skilled engineering.
Jay laughed at the frightened look in the icy blue eyes, "Don't worry Zane, we aren't here to scrap you. In fact, we think we may have figured out a way to fix you."
A twinkle of interest sparked in the man's eyes. This was good news, compared to the news he had received the night before from Cole. The hope of getting better was something Zane immediately embraced.
"The only thing is we thought Cole may not… Approve of the method we came up with." Mr. Borg explained, with a small grimace on his lips.
Jay then proceeded to explain the conditions of Zane's internal workings. Of how they were influenced by emotions, and fluctuate due to the emotions he experienced. Zane nodded and played along, but he eagerly awaited to hear how they thought they could fix him. It was fascinating and all, how his systems worked, but he was eager to become better again.
"We know there are some emotions that are not currently turned on in your system. We thought, maybe, that if we were able to switch on some choice feelings you currently don't have, that maybe we could boost your power level. We could influence the amount of positive emotions you are feeling. We don't know how well it will work, but it's worth a try." Cyrus explained, as he spread the blueprints out on the end of the bed.
Cyrus turned to Zane, and rose his eyebrows in an unspoken question. Zane then realized they wanted to do this now, before Cole came back and could oppose their plan. Zane nodded in consent, but felt slightly confused. He did not understand as to why Cole would have a problem against this. The idea seemed like a good one to Zane, and yet he could see no reason why one would be opposed to such a solution.
"We believe that Cole is very close to you. So close that he would not enjoy the idea of forcing new emotions on you, or something like that." Jay answered, as if he had been able to hear Zane's unspoken question. However, Jay was not able to meet Zane's eyes as he said this, instead glancing quickly to Cyrus, who returned the quick glance. There was something more to that statement, that neither one of them was going to share.
The pair, in all honesty, could not be more sure that Cole had a crush on Zane. There was no hiding emotions on Cole's part, even if he did think he was concealing his true feelings. They knew that Cole wouldn't respond very well to the thought of giving Zane more emotions, especially if they pertained to more romantic things. There could be the fear that Zane would not be able to return such feelings, or even worse, feel the same way towards Cole. But they didn't find the need in telling Zane any of this. This was something for Cole and Zane to work out on their own, without the help of outsiders like themselves.
Zane nodded in understanding, and lifted his arms over his head as Cyrus pulled off Zane's shirt.
"Alright Zane, lay down flat on the bed. We're going to open you up and see what we can find."
The hatch easily opened, and before Zane knew it, the pair were poking and prodding at his wires, trying to find the hidden buttons and switches that were indicated on the blueprints. Zane closed his eyes and took deep, long breaths, trying not to get worked up over the uncomfortable feeling, or the hatred that came with him being an artificial human. He was suddenly pulled roughly out of his calm breathing, though, when he heard a click of a switch.
He felt the urge to laugh then. To joke and pull pranks and sing his heart out in the shower, as Cole did. His systems whirred, as if an engine was slowly being started. The nindroid let out a surprised gasp at the sudden emotion that was humor.
"Oops, sorry Zane… I'll warn you next time." Jay mumbled, a red blush of embarrassment reaching his ears.
There was yet another couple minutes of silence, before either of them spoke.
"Alright Zane, I'm about to turn on the "pride" emotion. Get ready." Jay warned.
There was another flick, and Zane was filled with the feeling of, well, pride. He felt good about his achievements, and felt somewhat joyful to be the being he was.
"Oh, nice, that was good." Jay muttered, as he watched Zane react to the emotions of pride. Some youthful glow had returned to Zane's eyes, the icy blue becoming more icy and distinct, closer to what it used to look like. The whirring began to sound less broken, as if his systems were definitely benefiting from the awakening emotions.
It went on like this for almost an hour, feelings such as "hope", "satisfaction", "enthusiasm", "inspiration", and "serenity" were introduced to Zane's list of emotions. His system was purring warmly, happy and content.
"He's almost there," Cyrus muttered to himself, looking at the blue prints harder, trying to find the right emotion to fully boot the nindroid to stable power, "Just one more-"
Zane was not warned this time of the emotion that was about to be introduced to him. Instead, it seemed as though Jay had suddenly reacted on impulse, seeing a switch that particularly called to him.
"Holy-" Zane gasped violently, his first words since his shut down escaping his lips, in his wild, flailing frenzy.
The emotions rushed through him, sending his system into a reboot. But although his system was whirring to life, he was now less aware than he had been on the electrical power source. The feeling that Jay had turned on was swamping over his consciousness, overwhelming him with a surge of feelings that he had not been aware of; the surge of feelings he was now fully certain had been hiding behind the wall of admiration.
The sudden need for Cole was coursing through him. A yearning, a yearning Zane had only seen when Jay talked about Nya. Zane understood now what it felt like to have a crush… No, to be in love. He wanted… He wanted to kiss Cole. To dedicate his life to him. To hold on to him, be able to say they were for each other. He wanted a future with Cole, a future that involved romance and family, happiness and love… Love. Zane's chest felt light and heavy at the same time, his wires pumping rapidly at the realization.
"What did you do?!" Cyrus exclaimed, obviously alerted by Zane's labored, shaking breaths.
"Love!" Jay shouted, his brow furrowed in concern as he watched his teammate struggle.
"Love?! Why would you do that, Love is the strongest, most painful-" Cyrus stopped in the middle of his scolding, gazing down in amazement at the sight before him.
Zane had a sweet smile on his face, his icy blues twinkling once more, as they used to. The boy's labored gasps were gone, replaced by soothing inhales and exhales, enjoying the scents he had not been able to smell in his restricted state. There was a blaze of energy in Zane's cheeks, a healthy flush that, only moments ago, had been a slightly concerning grey.
"I do believe I am in love." He whispered, a sloppy grin on his face. They smiled joyfully in return.
Zane was back.
Pain. That was all Morro was aware of. A horrible, stabbing pain. The sunlight pierced every inch of his ghost skin, a burning sensation that was horribly unpleasant. He quickly crawled into the shadows, away from the brightness that was the realm of Ninjago, finding shelter in a quiet alley way. His mind was scattered, disoriented by the swirling vortex, the pain mixing is thoughts into a confusing cluster.
"I have to find the dark remnants… I have to find the dark remnants…" Morro whispered to himself, shaking in the shadows as he repeated this mantra in a whisper. He rocked back and forth in his fetal position, knees hugged tightly against his chest, the hours quickly ticking by in his unaware state.
The sun disappeared behind the horizon hours later, causing Morro's shaking to suddenly stop. He blinked his eyes several times in surprise, feeling well and awake in the moonlight.
"I have to find the dark remnants…" He whispered to himself once more. Quickly, in a sudden urgency, he sprang up from his position in the abandoned alley way. He had to get to the center of the city. He had to find the dark remnants. He had to revive his solid form.
His running steps ghosted smoothly over the ground, never once touching the surface of the city concrete. Morro did not look around him, he did not stop to be amazed at how different the city looked now. He did not think about anything else but the dark remnants.
His feet lead him to a construction site, abandoned due to the lack of the sun. Morro squinted his eyes, trying to find what he was looking for. He did not know what it looked like, and he didn't exactly know where to start looking. But he was determined, determined to find the substance he needed in order to feel the Ninjago soil once more beneath his feet.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a purple, pulsating blob, bobbing weakly above the ground several feet away from him. The purple pulsing looked exactly alike to the Overlord's body.
This was it. This was what Morro needed.
He quickly sprinted towards the object, holding out his arms to snatch it from it's spot. But he didn't need to snatch it. It rushed towards him, as if magnetically attracted to Morro. There was an instant feeling of gratification, as the power made contact with Morro. It felt powerful and strong, harmonizing in a perfect key with the powers of wind that he possessed.
He shrieked with glee, the rush running through him. It felt amazing, and his body was reacting pleasantly, becoming more solid with each remnant he came into contact with. His crazed cackling pierced through the quiet night, filling the void with a bone-chilling sound.
But no one was around to hear it. And no one was aware that the new threat to their home world was stronger now, stronger than ever before.
Thoughts! Concerns! Questions! I'd love to hear any of them :D