Subduction

Cole sat at the table in the dining room alone, after becoming impatient with his prisoners and their questions. He had shoed them from the room with a few curses, and they had left immediately.

He would admit that he was a little bit lonely. Zane was the closest thing he'd had to a friend since before he had been captured and taken to the Dark Island.

Then again, there was that one guy in the Northern realm...

Cole tapped his fingers on the table, trying to remember the guy's name. I wonder if I killed him, he thought absently. Cyrus Borg, I think. He nodded to himself. A rotten traitor, if ever there was one. And no, he got away.

Cole took another long swig and slammed the cup down on the table, suddenly feeling a little angry. He was glad that his prisoners had left, because he was not sure that they would have made it out of the room without a few injuries, had they stayed another minute.

He looked at his knife, which sat upright on the table, its sharp edge jammed into the wood a good inch. That had happened a few minutes ago, when he had restrained himself from throwing the blade into Kai's neck. He let out another low growl and wrapped his hand around the handle of the knife. That pig had to learn some respect. He'd better, because if he didn't, someone would die. Not only Kai, but himself as well. He had been told to get the two noblemen to his master alive. Disobedience was punishable by death. And that was if the Overlord was in a good mood. On most days, all that the disobedient could hope for was a death with all of his limbs still attached to his body.

He should know. He had overseen countless executions done in this manner.

Cole shuddered and took another sip of the drink, relishing in the feeling it gave him as it burned down his throat. He never drank enough to get himself drunk, of course. He drank just enough to calm his frayed nerves, and no more. He numbed the pain with drink, he did not necessarily escape it. Only the weak used drink to escape reality. The strong used it as a fuel, of sorts, helping them through the valley of death, not around it.

He looked up and saw a stone warrior approaching. He shouted to it in the one language that the beasts understood. None of them wanted to learn a language that was cleaner than themselves. Trying to teach a stone warrior Ninjago's mother language was like trying to teach a pig how to bathe. The filthy beast did not want to be taught to clean itself, so why bother?

The same went for the stone warriors. The language most used in Ninjago was too clean for them. Instead, they used a foul, uncouth tongue the lord of evil himself had created.

So Cole learned their foul language, and gave up on even trying to use his dialect. Like all of the strong in this part of the world, he adapted. He rarely ever spoke in the beautiful, clean tongue of others in Ninjago, because no one spoke it where he now lived, with the exception of the few slaves. But even they were expected to learn and speak the Dark Tongue, and use it around their headmasters. Namely himself, Kozu, and the Overlord.

"Jark shakk tright," Cole growled to to the warrior. He threw his knife in the man's direction, purposefully clipping the brute's nose. He shouted for the lazy man to get the ship moving. They had a schedule to adhere to, for goodness sakes.

The man bowed quickly and scurried from the room with a quick "yes sir" in its terrible language.

Cole stood up with a grunt and staggered over to where the knife had lodged in the wall. He grabbed it and jerked it out of the wall as if it were a toothpick in a sandwich. He twirled it in his fingers and sat down once again at his spot at the bench.

He put the knife in his sheath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he shoved his empty cup across the table. He had downed one glass too many, and was going to most certainly pay for it later.

"Welcome to the team," Garmadon said with a smile.

Jay returned the grin cordially, not wanting to come across as unfeeling. "Thank you, your majesty." He said, ignoring the doubts in his mind. "I hope I can serve you as well as you seem to think I can."

The king had a sparkle in his eyes that Jay could not discern as he let go of the thief's hand and turned to Kaytake. "Well done, my friend," he said with a laugh. "Now we can begin."

"Begin what?" Julien asked as he rose slowly to his feet. "The meeting? I would like to get my children back, you know."

Garmadon held up a hand, seemingly unconcerned. "Patience, my friend. One thing at a time."

Misako unstrapped a scroll bag from her shoulder and undid the top. "I have a scroll here..." She said thoughtfully. The contents spilled out onto the table. "It's somewhere, I know it is."

Kaytake leaned over the table and looked at her work. "Did you find the location of the temple?" He asked.

"No," Misako shook her head, not looking up from her pile. "I do not have that yet."

"Then what?" Julien asked as he came up beside Jay.

Misako finally found what she was looking for, and she gave it to Jay. "This," she said. "It is a prophesy."

Jay took it hesitantly from her hand and read out loud. "The four knights must find the key to their hearts in order to assist the Green Knight in defeating the Overlord?" He set it down on the table and raised an eyebrow. "I feel like there's something I'm missing, your majesty."

Misako room the scroll and rolled it up quickly. "I don't understand it either, Walker." She said in her rich voice. "I trust that it will, in time, make sense to you." She handed the scroll back to Jay. "Take it with you, and show it to the others when you get to the Dark Island."

Jay's eyes bulged. "Hey, whoa there," he took an instinctive step backwards. "Now I appreciate being granted immunity and all that, but this is a little fast." He chuckled nervously. "I'll do it, it's just a little bit..." He played with his fingers, trying to find the word.

"Short notice?" Garmadon offered. "I know, Jay. You won't be going today, we have another job for you and Lloyd."

Jay could hardly hide the look of relief on his face as he nodded and took a deep breath. "So what is our first task, sir?" He glanced at Lloyd momentarily before looking down at his feet.

Misako lifted his chin with a warm smile. "You don't have to act like that, Jay." She said. "I may have more authority than you, but I say we can be friends. Be humble, but not downright servile."

Jay wanted to ask her what the word 'servile' meant, but decided against it. He got the main message. "Yes, Misako." He said with a nod, breaking his chin away from her hand.

Garmadon sat down at the table, and motioned for the others to follow his example. "Now that we have all four knights," he said, clasping his hands under his chin. "We can-"

"Hold it," Kaytake interrupted, holding up a hand for silence. "We only have three knights, my king." He said. "Forgive me for sounding so blatant, but we still need the black one."

Garmadon exchanged a glance with his wife and pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, my friend." He said as he reached for a grape. "I should have told you. My brother found him already."

"Wu?" Julien spoke up. "When did this happen?"

Garmadon shrugged and rolled the fruit between his thumb and forefinger. "He contacted me a few months back, and told us that he had found the Black Knight."

Kaytake leaned in and furrowed his brows. "Where is he?" He asked. "We must bring him here immediately, if he is not in Wu's jurisdiction." He cleared his throat. "I mean, is he on the Dark Island with your brother, or is he here?"

Garmadon chuckled. "Neither," he said vaguely, popping the grape into his mouth. He obviously found their confusion humorous. "As a matter of fact, if all the rumors I hear are true, he is with your sons at this moment on his ship."

He held up his hands, stopping Kaytake before the onslaught of questions could begin. "I know, it seems far fetched," he said. "You were probably wondering why I seemed so unconcerned about your children and their plight. Now you know why."

Kaytake blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what the king had just said. "Surely you jest." He got to his feet slowly and stared at Garmadon with wide eyes. "Of all the people your brother could have chosen, it had to be him?"

Misako nodded patiently and played with a jade ring on her middle finger. "What makes Cole any different than Jay?" She asked cooly. "If he has been chosen, it is out of our control."

Kaytake fumbled for an answer, but couldn't find his tongue, as it seemed to have been shoved down his throat.

Jay had been silent until now, watching patiently from the sidelines. But now, he got to his feet slowly and cleared his throat, making everyone turn to him. "I...I agree with Kaytake." He said in a voice that he had to fight to keep from squeaking. "With all due respect, I think you all trust too easily. Sir Cole took away the two heirs to the Northern and Southern realms, and lady Pixal. To think that he would suddenly be all peaceable with you and join us suggests naivety." He cleared his throat and sat down, wondering what on earth had just possessed him to say such things. "Of course, that's just my opinion." He said quickly.

Garmadon seemed unfazed by what Jay had said. Julien and Lloyd, on the other hand, seemed to explode with questions.

"Pixal was captured?"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"When did it happen?"

Jay wished that he could shrink into ball and disappear in between the cushions of his seat. His face turned red, and he stared at his feet in embarrassment. Here he was, not fifteen minutes after being told to hold his tongue, and he was causing more trouble than he knew what to do with.

Garmadon held up his arms and called for silence. "I know, that was a bit uncalled for," he gave Jay a reprimanding look. "But there's no need for all that shouting. What is done is done, so please just sit down and act your age." He shot Lloyd a hard stare, and the young man immediately sat back in his seat and shut his mouth.

Kaytake set a hand on Jay's shoulder and smiled congenially. "I think we need to get to the point of this meeting, so you can get your assignment. If you're anything like me, you need to get to the bottom of a problem immediately and dig out a solution. You're aching for something to do right now, aren't you?"

Jay stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Yes sir," he said. "You've hit it right on the target."

The Southern lord chuckled and patted Jay's shoulder. "There you have it," he said. "Let's get to work."

Zane and Kai flew down the steps and stopped at Pixal's door. The Nindroid hesitated only a moment before knocking. "Sister?" He pressed his mouth to the cracks in the wood and spoke. "Are you in there?"

"Where else would I be?" Her voice was muffled. "Go away, Zane. I'm trying to contact father."

Zane's eyes grew round, and he pressed his hands to the door. "No, Pixal!" He hissed. "Please don't. I didn't save you from Cole just to have you turn around abuse that power."

There was silence for a long moment, them Pixal spoke up again. "And since when have you been on the enemy's side?" She snapped. "I'll do as I please. There's no harm in trying."

Zane's head whirled around wildly for a moment as he checked to make sure no one besides Kai was listening. "I've already covered too much for you, sister." He whispered, once again pressing his mouth to the crack. "You do realize that if Cole finds out, he will kill you."

"So?" Pixal's voice was sharp. "Go away."

"Make me," Zane growled. "I'm not kidding, Pixal. Listen to me and don't try anything. He'll find you out. Sir Cole does not take violation of orders lightly."

"Zane," Pixal's voice was harsh, but he could tell that her resolve was breaking. "Why should I listen to you?"

Zane slowly sunk to his knees, a look of desperation on his pale face. "Because I am your brother, Pixal." He said softly. "Will you please just trust me? You need to cut off all communication with father. We cannot risk it."

There was silence for a long minute before Zane heard Pixal sigh and mumble something under her breath. She spoke in a more audible tone. "Okay, Zane. I'm sorry, I'll turn it off."

Zane closed his eyes and let out a relieved breath. "Thank you," he said, leaning his head against the door. "Good girl." He had programmed her. He knew how to get around her stubborn behavior and get sense into her thick, boar-headed brain.

Kai sat down next to Zane, shivering slightly as he observed his companion.

Zane opened his eyes slowly after a long moment. "Is it done?" He asked in a hoarse whisper. "I know it was risky, lying to Cole about your powers. But I did not want him messing with your chest panel."

A soft rustling noises told Zane that she was positioning herself with her back against the door, so they could talk. "Thank you, Zane," she said. "I know that was a huge risk. But I appreciate it."

Zane smiled and shifted his weight, so he could be more comfortable. "That's what big brothers do."

He was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "How are you doing, sis?" His voice rose in pitch a bit, suggesting that he was done with the secrecy, and now had nothing to fear, should Cole overhear their conversation.

"How do you think I'm doing, Zane?" Pixal asked. "I'm scared."

Zane frowned slightly. "Stay strong, sister." He said, putting his hand against the door. "We'll get out of this, okay?"

"How do you know?" Pixal's voice was steadily rising in volume, and was wavering slightly. "What makes you think that any of us will live through this?"

Zane heard her sniffling, and it nearly broke is heart. He made gentle hushing sounds, and made longing glances in the direction of the dead bolt on the door. "Hey, please don't cry," he whispered. "You can stay strong. That's what Cole admires more than anything, you know. If you can get him to respect you, he may let you live."

"Let me live?" Pixal was on the verge of tears, that much was certain. "Live how, Zane? As a slave? A harlot?" Her words cut into his heart. "That's not living, Zane. That is death at its worst."

A silent tear fell down Zane's cheek, and he turned his face from Kai, so he could not see it. He pulled his hood over his face and hugged his knees to his chest. He knew she was right. In some ways, death would be so much better than what they had ahead of them. "Don't lose hope, sister." He managed to whisper. "Hope is our greatest strength right now."

The sniffling grew more frequent, and he knew that she was crying now. Of course, that was to be expected. Pixal was an impulsive, headstrong girl who had little control over her emotions. He was not surprised by the fact that she was having a swing now.

Zane wiped his face on his sleeve and forced his tears back. There were very few things that could make him cry. Being able to hear his sister crying, and being unable to come to her rescue, that was one of those few things that could spring a leak in his eyes. He let out a shaky sigh as he whispered, "I love you, sister," to his tucked in knees.

Pixal only allowed a short moment to pass before answering. "I love you too, Zane."

Kai closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, trying to make sense of what he had just heard. So Pixal was like her brother. She had built in weapons, but Zane had kept Cole from making her turn them off...why? Her brother had just asked her to turn them off right now, so he obviously didn't want her to fight or escape.

The answer came immediately. She was a girl, and Zane was protecting her innocence. A panel on the chest could be quite revealing. He did not want anyone in the room while she flipped the switches.

Kai sighed deeply spoke. "I think we should get a meal started." He opened his eyes. He knew it had been a day since his last meal, but he couldn't seem to find his appetite.

Zane quickly composed himself and nodded, pulling his hood back down. "Yes, I think you're right." He got to his feet and helped Kai up. He looked back at the door and stared at it for a long moment before speaking. "We'll be back, Pixal." He said.

"O-okay, Zane." Her voice sounded out a moment later.

Zane turned and walked back up the steps to the dining room. He opened the door tentatively and gestured for Kai to stay put while he went in and talked to Cole. He shut the door between him and Kai, then walked over to the table where Cole sat, staring blankly at the wall with glazed eyes.

"Cole?" Zane said tentatively, restraining himself from touching the man's shoulder. "Would you like it if we prepared something to eat?"

Cole blinked and shifted his weigh on the seat slightly. He shrugged and let out a sigh. "Go ahead," he said shortly, not looking in Zane's direction. His voice was a little bit sluggish and nasal. "Do whatever you want. Just stay away from my men. They won't hesitate to play nasty games with you."

Zane nodded and went for the door. He opened it and let Kai through. "Thank you, sir." He said respectfully. He opened the kitchen door and walked in.

Kai followed quickly, casting quick glances in Cole's direction as he walked into the man's field of vision, then out of it again. He shut the kitchen door behind him and raised an eyebrow at Zane. "What was that about?" He asked quietly. "Cole looks a little bit..."

Zane shrugged and started opening cupboards. The Dark Knight was a tidy man. Everything in the kitchen was spotless, and it seemed that every can, every jar, and every plate had its own spot in each cupboard. He decided that he would have to work hard to make sure everything was just as he left it, because Cole would most likely have a fit if he found it dirty.

He selected a few cans of beans, and one can of some sort of red meat. "Are there any greens, Kai?" He asked. "I would like something fresh with the meal."

Kai opened a few barrels and an icebox. "Plenty of fruit," he said with a shrug. "Mostly apples and limes. How weird."

Zane shook his head. "They preserve better than most other fresh fruits," he said. "Cole is not the kind of person who you would find with a crate of bananas. We both know how quickly they can go bad."

Kai nodded and slapped a barrel lid into place with his hands. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He looked into a crate of apples hungrily. "Do you think he would mind if we ate some of this stuff?"

Zane shook his head. "I don't think so. He seems to not care what we do." He grabbed a knife and a small plate. "Hand me a few limes and apples, please."

Kai tossed them across the room, and Zane caught them in his palm with ease. He cut them with quick, concise thrusts with the knife and set them neatly on the plate. "Can you bring this to Cole?" He picked up the plate and held it out to Kai.

"Nope," Kai said with a rebellious grin as he took a bite of an apple and leaned against the counter. "You can go nurse your best friend, I'll stay here. I'm not in the mood to fight with two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle."

Zane rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't have to be rude about it," he said with a slight grin. "You can rinse the beans."

Kai shrugged and walked over to Zane's pile of ingredients. "I can do that."

Zane snorted and pushed the door open. He walked over to where Cole was playing with a knife, and he set the plate of fruit down in front of him. "You want some water?" He asked.

Cole slowly raised his glazed eyes from the knife in his fingers. "Sure," he said in a gruff voice. "But I thought you said you were cooking something." He gestured to the plate.

Zane was glad that Kai had refused to bring the plate out. Cole was just asking for a fight, and Kai would have been all to happy to give him one. The Nindroid gave him a knowing grin and crossed his arms over his chest. "I said I was preparing something to eat." He nodded to the sliced fruit. "The fruit would fall into that category."

Cole gave him a slight grin and grabbed a lime. "Touché, Zane." The malign melted out of his tone. He took a bite out of the lime and seemed unaffected by the sour taste.

Zane turned and walked back toward the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder once and said, "but I am making a bean soup, just so you know." And he walked back into the kitchen without waiting for the cynical reply.

Kai was waiting for him with two cans of open beans and a knowing smile on his face. "There's a reason I didn't want to go out there, you know." He opened the can of meat and started to drain the liquid into the sink.

"Wait," Zane leapt forward and grabbed the can. "That's good broth. We can use it."

"Sorry," Kai backed away and held up his hands in defeat.

Zane shrugged. "We'll live," he said. "It's no big deal." He emptied the contents of the can into a pot and turned it on. "And yes, I do see the wisdom in keeping you two separated as much as possible. He's a little bit..." He tried to find the word. "His nerves are a bit shot from the drink."

Kai snorted. "Which shouldn't surprise us any. I'm just glad that he didn't finish the bottle."

Zane added the beans and several dried herbs into the pot. "He's much too responsible to ever do something like that. He knows his limit, and he stays within his boundaries."

Kai tossed his apple core in the garbage. "And how do you know this?" He asked.

"I can just see it in his eyes," Zane replied with a shrug. "I cannot explain it, Kai. I just know that we can trust him to not drown himself in drink."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Says the man who tries to encourage the guy of people's worst nightmares. Might as well go court the Grim Reaper."

Zane suddenly let out a groan and ran to a cupboard, muttering curses under his breath. "I forgot about his water," he explained to Kai. He filled up the cup and ran out the door again.

He set the cup down in front of Cole. "My apologies," he said quickly.

Cole gave him a flagrant smile. "Too busy gossiping about me to actually get anything done?" He said teasingly.

Zane ran his fingers through his hair with a flustered smile. "Sorry."

Cole rolled his eyes and snorted contemptuously as he took a sip of the water. "Just forget it. I couldn't care less." He nodded to the half full bottle. "You wanna add that to the soup?" He asked. "I cut up the cork, so it needs to get used up before it spoils."

Zane shook his head in mock disapproval. "Shame on you, Cole." He grabbed the bottle and took a whiff. He looked up at Cole and shrugged. "I could use a little bit, but all of it would be too much."

"Bah," Cole got to his feet slowly and waved is hand in a dismissive manner. "I add it to everything. That's what gives my food its kick."

The nobleman set the bottle back down on the table and went back to the door. "I'm sure I can find a cork somewhere," he said.

Cole tossed his knife absently into the far wall and shrugged as the dull thud indicated impact. "You do that, prisoner."

Garmadon cleared his throat and clasped his hands in front of him on the table. "There are four swords, one for each knight." He gestured to Lloyd and said, "except for you, of course. Your weapons will be explained later."

He looked at Jay and spoke slowly, just to make sure he wouldn't have to repeat it. "Two of the blades are on the Dark Island. The other two are here, in Ninjago. I have the maps in a secure place, and will give them to you before you leave."

Jay nodded slowly. "Got it," he said. "What else?"

Garmadon was pleased to have such an attentive listener. He smiled as he continued his instructions. "Your job is to take those maps to the Dark Island, meet up with Kai, Cole and Zane, and split into two teams. Two of you will come back to Ninjago for the blades hidden here. The other two will stay there and find those swords."

Kaytake cleared his throat and spoke. "That sounds time consuming," he observed. "So far, we must be looking at nearly two weeks of work."

Garmadon regarded him cooly. "In the grand scheme of things, my friend," he said. "Two weeks is a blink. We have bigger problems right now than time blocks."

"Like what?" Kaytake asked.

"Rebellions," Julien said. "Surely you've heard, Kaytake?"

The Southern lord frowned and shook his head. "No, I suppose not. What's been happening up north?"

Lord Julien looked at Garmadon for confirmation before speaking. "It seems that some people feel we are incompetent," he said. "After word started spreading that Zane and Kai were taken, there has been unrest."

Kaytake raised an eyebrow. "Tell them we will take care of it, and not to worry."

Julien rubbed his forehead, as if nursing a headache. "It's not that simple anymore, Kay." He said. "They want us gone. They are demanding a new leader. One who can actually protect them from the threats overseas."

Kaytake's jaw dropped. "We're doing all that we can!" He exclaimed. "Do they not appreciate we have been doing?"

"That's just it, Kaytake." Garmadon said. "You must remember that they don't know what we've been doing. We have been keeping most of our operations a secret, as to not alarm the public."

"Well it isn't working very well," the Southern lord shot back. "I think it's time we cracked down and got the people back under control. They are enjoying this freedom too much."

Garmadon shook his head. "Cracking down will only make the situation worse, Kaytake." He said patiently. "We need to simply get to the heart of the rebellion and take out its leader. That would be our best bet at restoring peace. More laws don't solve problems. Cracking down would be asking for insurgence."

Kaytake took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I was out of line. You are right." He tapped his fingers on the table as he gathered his thoughts. "What is the leader's name?"

"Cyrus," Julien said. "His name is Cyrus Borg. He was one of my best engineers, until the day Zane was captured." He sighed and ran his fingers through his greying hair. "There was pandemonium when Sir Cole came and demanded that I hand over my son. Sometime during the ruckus, he managed to steal a bunch of blueprints, then disappeared."

"If he disappeared," Misako said. "Then how is he irritating the people?"

"I don't know!" Julien exclaimed, his face flushing red. "It's so frustrating. But he has been causing massive amounts of trouble." He smashed a grape between his thumb and the table. "And he does it right under my nose."

Garmadon sighed heavily and looked around the room, at all the faces. "Does anyone have a clue as to his whereabouts?"

Jay cleared his throat. "I-I know a Borg," he said timidly as every eye fell on him. "He's been working in the black market for several years now, sir."

"You know him?" Kaytake asked.

Jay shrugged. "I've made a few deals with the guy, but I don't know him. He mostly sells to Sir Cole. Until recently, they were really close."

Julien rubbed his forehead again. "I am a fool," he moaned. "How did I not see this coming?"

Jay shrugged. "He's incredibly crafty. I've heard that he's actually in charge of the biggest criminal syndicate in Ninjago."

Julien buried his head in his arms on the table and mumbled something under his breath.

"Jay," the Southern lord said with a smile. "That really did not help him feel better at all."