Chapter Six: Amateur Detectives, Anyone?

I shifted in my seat, glancing around the blimp that we were all in at the moment. Garmadon was speaking with Lloyd about something, and everyone was still arguing. Well, Paleman was more flirting with Skylor than arguing with anyone person. Star...I am soo bored right now.

You're telling me. Let's wait and see along it will take everyone to realize that there is no pilot.

I stifled a snort, even as Neuro stood up and walked into the cockpit. A second later, he came running back out. "No one is flying this death trap!"

"You just now realized that?" I couldn't help but smugly asked him.

Everyone glared at me. Swallowing hard, I ducked my head to pretend to examine my nails. Not my fault that I noticed a lack of emotions coming from the cockpit! Jay coughed loudly, before hurriedly speaking up. "Well, Chen better contact us and let us know what the plan is soon."

"Glad to see that you agree! Today instead of hunting Jadeblades, you all will be hunting a spy." A large screen turned on just then, showing Chen's ugly face. It briefly flickered to a security camera to show Nya weaving her way through the jungle. "The person to catch her will move onto the final round."

I bit back a snort, even as Star tisked loudly in my mind. "Nya!" Fear flooded off of Kai, smothering me immediately.

Struggling to breath, I turned to him. "Need...to...calm... your...fear...too...strong..." I coughed loudly, nearly doubling over from the pain.

"Kai! Emotions appear as something tangible to her... too much of any one emotion can make breathing harder for her due to this." Garmadon hissed as he whacked Kai in the back of his head.

Kai took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine. I should be used to it by now anyways... no one can control their emotions when they're that upset." I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with much needed air now that his fear wasn't so toxic to me.

Lloyd shook his head as he looked to me. "So...what I am hearing is that, your own element can kill you if you get overwhelmed with it?"

I nodded slowly, pressing a finger to my lips. "Yeah... old news to me. People aren't too careful with their emotions...don't know how to calm themselves down in the moment."

"Your parents must have been quite at adapt at removing you from such situations." Garmadon nodded thoughtfully.

I froze, mixed emotions surging through me. "Don't mention them!" Tears threatened to spill over, forcing me to turn my head quickly away from the others.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that everyone flinched away from me. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized that I was probably forcing my anger out onto them. "Oh dear... I didn't see you there Garmadon. I only have enough parachutes for the others. Oh well...the door should be opening right now. Have fun!" Chen suddenly announced.

I snapped my head back to the others, even as the floor beneath us opened up. I could feel myself tense as I fell into the air below. Unopened parachutes fell all around us...and there was a mad grab for them going on. I noticed an extremely tall pine tree that was near me, and angled my body just right... reaching my hands out, I grabbed the topmost branch of the tree, swinging down onto the lower branch underneath it. Ok Star... what is the plan?

Survive this and don't get caught. Maybe do some of the one thing that we can both agree on...

I paused, eyeing the forest floor that was several stories below me. A bit risky... but I'm sure that the others can handle Chen and his men. Besides that, this tournament thing isn't me and Chen probably knows something.

With that said, I climbed down the tree, ignoring the way the bark and needles scratched at my arms and legs. Reaching the bottom, I jumped off of the tree, landing in a crouched position. Chen's men said that it took them ages just to find me. Thinking things through...that will also mean that they don't realize what I do in my free time. And it ain't reading sappy romances.

…..

"Hey! You aren't supposed to be here!" One of Chen's men yelped as he turned the corner to find me about to enter Clouse's private quarters.

I paused, settling a glare in his direction. The result was instant. He burst into terrified tears, a wail of mommy escaping him before he ran off. Hate it when the bad guys catch us. Start the countdown for when they'll get coherent enough to warn Chen or Clouse.

On it Ella! At least Star agreed with me on this.

Slipping into the room, I walked past a dozen or so bookshelves that were filled to the rim with spell books and other such things that were right on the boring side. Locating a seemingly random wall in the clear back of the room, I pressed my hand against it, quickly scanning it with my eyes. Hmm... hidden safe? Whatever could Clouse be hiding from the ninjas that we don't already know? My fingers poked and pulled at the wall, until the hidden compartment opened up, revealing the safe. Reaching a hand up to my hair, I pulled out a single bobby pin, which I promptly stuck into the keyhole. I wiggled it, even as I kept my senses open for any emotions alerting me to the presence of others.

Finally there was a familiar, satisfying click sound as the safe swung open, I hurriedly shoved it back into my hair at that welcome sight. Wow... they seriously didn't looked into our backgrounds at all. Maybe we should let them know how often we've been kidnapped!

Ella... calm yourself. Wait...all this for some rusty old journal?

I blinked quickly, looking down to see that she was right. There was only one item in there...and it was an old journal that was covered with dust. Picking it up, I was about to blow the dust off when an angry voice interrupted me. "What do you think you're doing!?" Spinning around, I spotted Clouse standing in my only way out, fury dancing in his eyes.

I glanced up at the ceiling, and quickly did some quick math questions... Go for it Ella. Everything looks good. "You guys really should have done your research before you invited me...also, see ya later slowpoke!" I then did two things, first I blew the dust off into his face, and secondly I leaped into the air, kicking the vent cover in as I swung myself into it. Grabbing the now dented air vent, I placed it over the opening, even though I knew it will only slow him down for a few seconds. If he could get himself up here that is.

Crawling through the vents, I glanced down at the journal. "Property of Estrello Emotican." I nearly froze, interest kicking in. "Here I was thinking that he was one of the good guys."

I got that memo too. Besides that...I get the feeling that he wasn't exactly buddy buddy with Clouse to just give him the journal.

I nodded in agreement, before sticking it into my hoodie's pocket, that was the perfect size to keep it in. "Next stop... the dungeon! I really want to check on Cole and see if Zane can make anything out of this journal."