Well! According to my profile I am suppose to finish this story by the end of summer. I am working on that, I swear! I am trying to get my brain to ignore all my "just for fun" stories and focus on the stories I have online. As ADD as my brain is . . . I'm doing my best. If you're still reading the story at this point, I thank you sincerely.
Lloyd sighed with relief when he realized Cole was the one who pulled him back. "Please don't do that again!"
"Shhh!" Joey snapped, appearing in front of them. "Julic may already be here. Don't alert him to our location." He scanned the area, but Lloyd had a feeling he wasn't looking for Julic.
"The venom taking over?" Jay asked Alex.
Alex gave him a slight glare, feeling embarrassed that she overreacted. "No," she stated, "but I can feel it now. Julic was right about that."
"Do you think you can keep it in check while we're here?" Tove asked.
"Of course I can keep it in check," Alex stated. "Just give me a moment." She closed her eyes.
"Okay, while she's doing that, we need a plan," Kai said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "We need an idea of where Julic is heading and how we're going to stop him. He has more power, but we have the element of surprise."
"I know exactly where he's going," Joey said, clearly nervous about something. "There's a cave system below the island. It's the only place that contains Dark Matter. If Julic has found a way to navigate it…we need to get to the entrance first."
"Lead the way," Lloyd said. "We'll come up with something on the way." He turned to Alex, not sure if he should try to pull her from her trance or not.
Just then, Alex opened her eyes. Everyone was staring at her now. "What?" she frowned.
"Nothing," Lucas said. "We were just…we're leaving now."
Alex nodded and they started into the jungle, following Joey.
"Are you okay?" Jay questioned, picking up on the nervous glances Joey kept giving around the jungle.
"Who? Me? I'm fine," he said. "Just…fine. Lloyd, you're a hundred percent sure you actually destroyed the Overlord, right?"
Lloyd clenched his fists. "Now you ask me? You couldn't have brought it up before you killed me?"
"Like I said, if I hadn't killed you, Julic would have your powers," Joey huffed. "I would've done so anyway given the situation and that you defeated him. I want to know now if you fully destroyed him."
No one said anything for a while.
"Do you think he might still be alive?" Cole asked.
Joey stopped dead in his tracks, causing the others to stop as well. He glanced back at them. "Well, he's an immortal spirit, the very essence of evil. Destroying him would be completely removing his attachment on the physical world."
"Is that even possible?" Tove mumbled, mainly to herself. "The spiritual plain and physical plain can blur sometimes and…" She looked up and saw all eyes on her. "Are you really gonna question me?"
"No, because you're right," Joey said. "So keep an eye out." He turned and continued.
The others exchanged worried looks but followed him anyway.
After a while of walking, Alex stopped. She felt something wrong. "Hold on," she told everyone.
For a moment, everyone stopped and it was dead silent.
"Cole, look out!" Alex shouted, tackling Cole as a ball of fire shot over his head. She blushed and pushed herself off of him. "Julic is here."
"Then we stop him now," Joey said. He swiped his hand at Lloyd, causing the green ninja to become invisible. "Don't attack until I say. And keep quiet."
Alex was surprised she couldn't see him. She saw Pythor and Tove, but for some reason she couldn't see Lloyd. Her attention turned to the Ninja of Lightning. "Jay, get down!" she said.
Jay dropped to the ground as ice shot over him.
"Where is he?" Lucas muttered. Then he winced in pain as a ringing cut into his mind.
If only you knew, Julic's voice hissed. I know you've only ever had your powers against you once. The skeletons managed to do that, didn't they?
Stop! Lucas shouted back. The pressure increased and he dropped to his knees.
Joey put his hands out, causing a barrier to appear around them. "I can keep physical attacks out, but with Lucas's powers…I can't block that."
"Well, we can't just let Julic pick us off through our minds," Kai said.
"If he was after all of us, he wouldn't just be attacking me," Lucas told them, holding his head.
Alex was at his side in an instant. "They're your powers," she said. "Wouldn't you have some kind of resistance?"
"Well, if I do, then if it was against any of you, you wouldn't be conscious," Lucas managed to say.
"That bad, huh?" Cole mumbled.
"We need to strike back," Tove said. "We can't do that if we don't know where he is."
"That would be your powers," Jay stated.
A dagger hit the barrier, cracking it. Joey grabbed his stomach, recoiling from the damage. Another one hit not too far from the first, completely breaking the barrier. Joey collapsed. "He's that way!" he said, pointed ahead.
Julic appeared, taking a few steps forwards. "Poor little Joey," he said. "You just can't do anything right."
"Don't come any closer!" Alex warned, stepping between him and Joey.
Julic laughed. "What can you do? I have everyone's powers!"
"Now!" Joey shouted. He swiped his hand and Lloyd reappeared.
Lloyd shot a beam of green energy at Julic, causing him to fly back.
Lucas felt Julic release is mind and stood up. He wondered why Julic picked him out. Maybe he was using Zoey's powers. Well, Lucas was not okay with that. He looked to where Julic was pushing himself up. "Lloyd!" he said. "Don't let Julic get near you!"
Lloyd nodded and began creating a barrier around himself. He closed his eyes as Julic entered his head, trying to ignore him and stay focused.
"If we don't do something, Lloyd's going to lose focus and it's not like Julic can't just take us out whenever he wants," Kai said.
"I think I have a plan," Lucas said. "Alex, do you remember that game we use to play? Army Base?"
Alex blinked, a little surprised that he brought it up. "Uh, of course. I always won."
"That wasn't my point, you little cheater," he said, causing Alex to smirk a little. "Remember when it was us versus Dad?"
Alex nodded, seeing where he was going. She turned to the guys and Tove. "Can you guys distract Julic?"
"No problem," Joey said, "but how does a game from your childhood translate to…this?"
"Doesn't matter," Lucas dismissed. "Just stay between Julic and Lloyd. Oh, and make Alex and I temporarily invisible."
Everyone moved between Julic and Lloyd, Joey swiping his hand at Alex and Lucas so they were invisible. "One minute," he said.
Julic sighed in amusement. "If I have to fight you, then why not. It's a hopeless effort."
"Yeah, but ninja never quit!" Jay said.
"And never turn their back on friends," Cole added.
"We've had worse odds," Kai stated.
Julic seemed a little confused. "How are you guys not dead yet?"
Lloyd felt the pressure in his head ease, but he didn't make any move to show he was all right. Maybe if he kept the act up, Julic wouldn't try to push Lucas's powers back on him.
"You know, I'm starting to wonder that myself," Tove said. "But hey, there's nothing wrong with a little luck."
"Well, how about I end your luck right now," Julic said, a fireball appearing in his hand.
"Aw, come on, Julic," Joey smiled, stepping forwards. "I thought you liked a challenge."
"This isn't a challenge. It never was. You knew that, though," Julic said.
"Actually, I think you'll be pretty impressed with what these guys are actually capable of," Joey corrected. "I mean, they defeated the Overlord, someone who is ten times stronger than you."
"True, but I have their…" He tensed up. "What the…"
Alex and Lucas appeared on either side of him, along with a vine that was now wrapped around him.
"Ah, the memories," Alex said. "I'm surprised you didn't see this coming, Julic."
"Yeah. Haven't you masters Zoe's powers yet?" Lucas questioned.
Julic tried to pull against the vine. "You two really think this can hold me?" he growled. His eyes glowed and then they stopped. "What?"
"Oh, right," Joey said, giving a small laughed. "The flora here is pretty weird. There are several plants embedded with venge stone. It's not natural of course, the Overlord did that in case the First Spinjitzu Master came here. He never did, so he eventually forgot, but I guess the secret got out."
Lucas shrugged. "I memorized the look and feel of venge stone. When I remembered I saw some in some of the plants on our way through the island, the plan formed."
"What are you going to do now?" Julic asked. "I'm not giving back your powers."
"Oh, yes you are," Kai said.
"No, I'm not," Julic said confidently. "Have you guys forgotten about your friend?"
"Where's Zane?" Alex demanded, pulling on the vine, causing it to tighten around Julic.
Julic managed a chuckle. "I promise, if you release me, I will tell you."
"He's lying," Lloyd said. "He's not going to tell us."
"Am I?" he questioned. "Can you really take that chance?"
Alex was visibly angry. "Tell us now, or else–"
"Or else what?" Julic smirked. "You'll kill me, allowing your powers to be lost forever and never being able to find your friend? You wouldn't."
"No, she won't," Lloyd said, watching his sister carefully. He could tell that the venom was taking this moment to try an influence her at least. It was being fueled by her anger and frustration. He lowered his shield and walked over to the others. "Someone needs to take the vine from Alex and help hold Julic."
Cole nodded. He walked over to her, putting his arm around her and whispering in her ear.
Alex took a moment and realized he was right. She handed him the vine and backed away.
"What's wrong?" Julic asked. "Having trouble keeping control? What did I tell you?"
Alex took a deep breath, glaring at him.
Tove walked over, took Alex by her wrist, and pulled her back so she stood by Lloyd.
"Why is he not trying to escape?" Jay asked quietly. "He's stalling."
"Stalling for what?" Kai wondered.
There was a sound that broke through the clearing. It sounded like a mix between a growl, a hiss, and a bark.
"We need to leave," Joey said, turning around. He put up another barrier. "Now, we need to leave now!"
"Too late," Julic told them. "Release me now or it'll destroy all of us. If I don't control it, we're all dinner."
So, review (it's a great reminder for me) and please don't flame!
