Authors Notes: Apologies this took me so long to get out. I've been so busy lately.

Please please read and review!


Twisted Cogs:

Shadows

Chapter 7

Chens Island

The building was quiet. No more welding, no more hammers, no more brothers yelling at one another over whose idea was better. Just a group of teenagers, and three adults in the middle of the room. Each one looking at the machines. Each one built to the drivers specifications and elements. But here stood the five teenagers. All of which seemed to be exhausted from the sleepless well almost sleepless. Lloyd and Cole seemed to be the only two who seemed to be drinking coffee. Jay and Kai had slept the most, and Nya woke up at five. It was close to noon now. She lay against the water striders leg. Its foot was perfectly arched so it contoured to her back. Which felt awesome next to sleeping on the lumpy couch. They had gotten it from a yard sale.

"You know you all almost look like superheroes." Julien said with a chuckle.

"Almost...while your out there...keep your identity secret. Don't leave the cockpit unless you need to." Borg instructed.

"But…" Wu's voice called out as he stepped forward with a few things under his arms. "These might help." He held out Ninja Gi. "They belonged to the originals...so your family heritage." Wu said smiling at them.

"Whoa…so my mom?" Jay pointed at his Gi and then stiffed it. "Where these clea…"

"Good luck students!" Master Wu yelled as he scrambled away from the 'splash zone'

Soon enough the ninja were within their new Gi and inside their mechs.

"Dude...uh...Mr. Borg are you sure these mechs know the way? In billions of gallons of water?" Cole asked.

"Of course. We put them through tests Cole. You seen that." Borg chuckled. "Now just push the green button...and good luck." He watched as the ninja left. Each one disappearing into the water, on the water, or in the sky. A single one left in the hanger. A deep white ice tank

"Soon Zane...we'll have you and your brother back. Your friends are on their way. Just hang on."


The water turned them over and over again. Both of which held onto one another as well as they could. Echos voice broke over the rapids.

"Brother made for the side!" Zane turned and tried to swim but wasn't getting anywhere. They went under again. Zane got a mouth full of water. He resurfaced again coughing it up. Echo called out to him. His brother looked like he was going to be sick. Echo yelped in pain as they ran into a large stone. His arm popped and sputtered.

"Echo!" Zane called out as they were seperated. Zane went under again. Surfacing again looking around. He couldn't see his brother anywhere. "Echo!" He yelled his back hit one of the large sticks. His sensors sent warnings throughout his body. He rolled a few times, his system began to flood. He lost consciousness just as he felt someones hands around his arm.

"This the one?" He heard. He purged the water from his systems. He was able to lock onto Christophers for only a moment before his processor gave in.

Echo rolled in the water hitting another rock. It seemed to hold him in place for a little while he wasn't able to hold his head above the water. It was like the water went right up his nose. He coughed and that pulled water in too. His eyes rolled for a second. He couldn't breath. He felt someone grab hold of his arms and pull him up. He kept coughing, he felt his chest against someone else's arm. He was gently being patted. His processor was swimming and he wasn't able to focus on much.

"Z...Zane…" He coughed again.

"Hush or they'll find us." He knew that voice, that was the guy that caught them. His mouth was covered after a large bout of coughing surfaced again. He looked up at the people walking by. Zane was thrown over their shoulders his white shirt stuck to his pail skin.

"Brother…" Echo reached for him, but the man didn't move, and didn't take Echo to them. Echo realized this man was rubbing circles in his back. It almost seemed to lull him. He was exhausted. His optics shuttered and he fell into a deep tired sleep.


Zane woke up in the dungeon. His hands were shackled to the wall. He heard a slight squeaking noise. Along the wall rested a right were a rat and its two babies. This was their area and he was invading it. He hated the feel, the smell, the…

"Echo!" He tried to pull at the shackles.

'Calm yourself Zane. He wasn't with us upon arrival.' Pixals voice said in his head. Zane sighed smiling slightly.

"At least your here."

'If that is what you want to call this…' she said.

"Pixal your father is still collecting metals for your new body. Soon...very soon he says."

'I know I apologize.'

"I am sorry you are cooped up in my head...perhaps it would have been best if I ha…" Pixal could register what he was getting at. He was feeling sorry for the situation. Him being in peril means she was too. It worried him. If anything were to happen to him it would happen to her too.

"Zane please do not think such things. I love being close to you, I know it makes things a little easier for us. It is alright. I will just have to be patient." Pixal said sighing as she used his scanners to look around the room.


Echo felt something warm against his lips it tasted sweet. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see an eye patch on a face of someone tanned. The face broke into a smile. He could taste whatever was in the cup again. It tasted really really good. Echo took hold of the hand gently coaxing whoever held it to keep it to his lips.

"You were so low on oil I think you were starving for it." That voice...he knew it. Where did it come from? Echo slowly sat up having finished off the cup. His tank was almost full. He saw the can of oil and looked up only to see the man who brought them to Dr. Christophers in the first place.

"Its alright kid I have no reason to take you back. A job is a job and its over now. I've been paid in full so I can do as I please." Ronin said and pulled his hat off putting it onto Echos head. "So you might want to get out of here."

"But they have my brother. I can't just leave him behind." Echo said.

"Oh I don't think you should go in there kid. That place is full of snakes and I don't mean that as a joke either. Lots of snakes. The guy likes his snakes." He sighed and looked up at the huge building they were sitting next to.

"In case you haven't forgotten I'm not human. If I'm bitten the venum won't effect me." Echo said knocking on the side of his head. Ronin looked at the bot and sighed.

"Oh...what would you give me if I were to help ya huh?" Ronin asked. Echo shook his head.

"Respect…how old are you?" The guy looked down at Echo and chuckled.

"Sixteen." Ronin said and stood up looking around the other side of the building. "Alright theirs a bunch of boats coming in. You can hide in one of the boxes and they'll take the box in. I'll distract the guy long enough for you to get in. Alright. Its all I can do for you alright?" Ronin said and leaned down. "I really am sorry about what they did to you kid. But I'm still trying to survive." He said and put his hat back on and walked toward the workers.

"Hey uh...dude."

"Names Dareth." The same guy from the theater from a few days ago stood in front of Ronin, his finger pointing to his name tag.

" Oh yeah sorry Dareth uh...you don't suppose I can catch a ride back to the main land on the ship do you?" Ronin asked. Dareths eyes hadn't left Ronins. He dropped his pencil he was using to mark on the clipboard.

"Wow…" he whispered. "You have the most unbelievable brown eyes I have ever seen." The kid spoke. Ronin blushed, was this guy coming onto him?

"Yeah well you have some great blue eyes too." Did he just compliment him back!? What was wrong with him. "So uh...the…the uh...ride?" He asked.

"Yeah...sure. You can stay with me...I mean...you should stay with me...I mean stick close so no one asks questions." Dareth stumbled over his words and then bent down to pick up the pencil his hand however touched that of the man with the brown eyes. He looked up and blushed too.

"Uh...thanks." Dareth said fitting it behind his ear. Ronin turned to see the top of a box close with a soft thud.

"Mission complete." He adjusted his hat and went back to following the cute guy back onto the boat.