The day after Amelia's capture, Nya and Diane began researching the Serpentine. "We can't always count on the staffs for anti-venom." Nya pointed out.
The others agreed, so while they were working, Annabella and Emera continued to spar and train with the boys. "You think Nya and Diane will find anything?" Kai asked while waiting to spar.
Annabella, who was next to him, shrugged. "They're both brilliant, but it'll be a challenge." She pointed out.
Emera, meanwhile, was flipped over by Jay, and conceded defeat. "They were able to make spot on trackers for everyone. This'll be a piece of cake." Emera countered. "You're up, Kai."
While Kai spared Jay, Amelia and Lloyd were forced to watch since they couldn't train. "Aw, this is boring." Lloyd complained. "I hate sitting around."
"We don't have a choice." Amelia pointed out.
Nya and Diane came out, looking somewhat confused. "Is there something wrong?" Zane asked.
"Sensei just gave us the day off." Nya answered.
"That's awesome! But why?" Annabella questioned. Diane shrugged.
"He did not say. All he would tell us is he will be gone for a short time." She replied.
There was a loud cry, and when the ninja looked up, high in the air was the mysterious falcon.
"The falcon!" Zane shouted. It began flying into the distance, and the boys took off after it.
"Guys! It might not- Oh, what the hell, we're coming!" Emera shouted, running after it.
The falcon never seemed to stop, and eventually, everyone began getting tired. As a result, only Diane and Zane made it far enough to see the falcon's wings spasm.
"What's happened?" Diane asked, concerned. Zane walked over to the falcon, which had begun to short-circuit, slowly picking it up after its wings stilled. Gently, he picked up the bird.
"It must be robotic." Zane said thoughtfully. He jerked his head suddenly, hearing something in the distance. Another robot came out of the trees, saying,
"INTRUDER. INTRUDER. PREPARE TO BE ELEMINATED." It warned, firing. Diane and Zane dodged, running in opposite directions.
"Can you immobilize it?" Zane asked.
"Not without live plants! It seems there are none here!" Diane yelled back. "I can only draw its fire!"
Nodding, Zane crept behind the robot while Diane kept its attention. Jumping on its back, Zane pounded his shruiken into the circuit box. After a short dance/spasm, the robot collapsed. Diane ran up to it, holding the falcon.
"It's the same symbol on both." Diane noted. "As is the door's." She pointed to a nearby tree with a metal plate, a symbol pressed into the plate.
Entering the tree, the two walked down a flight of steps to find a single room, covered in dust as though no one had disturbed it in years. "What is all this?" Zane asked.
Going over to the table, Diane flipped through the blueprints. "These seem to be the plans for the falcon." Zane joined her at the table before quickly re-wiring the falcon and it came back to life, flying to a perch.
"Why were we brought here?" Zane thought aloud. Diane, meanwhile, noticed a set of blueprints she hadn't seen the first time. She gasped softly as she viewed them, and Zane looked over at her. "What did you find?"
"It-It's nothing." Diane lied.
"Diane, what is wrong?" Zane insisted, worried.
Diane bit her lip. "Just... when you see them, know nothing has changed." She told him. Zane chuckled.
"Of course." He said. Hesitant, Diane handed over the blueprints. A moment after Zane's smile faded and he looked mortified.
"No! It can't be! No! NO!" Zane shouted, falling on his knees.
"Zane!" Diane wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.
Elsewhere...
"Man, why'd the falcon have to lead us THIS FAR OUT?!" Annabella grumbled.
"More importantly, why didn't we think to use our vehicles? Would've saved a lot of walking." Emera added.
"Hey, where are they?" Cole asked, confused.
"Over there!" Nya ran over to the tree with the open door. The six ran inside.
"Zane? Diane?" Kai asked.
"What's wrong?" Jay said, looking at Zane, who was on the floor staring at the ground, and Diane, who was trying to get Zane to stand.
"Just... promise not to scream." Diane said quietly.
"Sure." Annabella said, confused. Nodding to Zane, Diane helped him up. Zane looked at the blueprints again before opening his panel.
"Whoa!" Emera said, shocked.
"Y-you're a robot?" Kai asked.
"All this time, and I never knew." Zane said mournfully.
"Guess it explains why you always acted weird." Jay said, and Emera smacked his arm.
"The reason I never had a sense of humor was because my 'funny' switch was off." Zane turned it on, and did a small comedic routine. Jay burst out laughing while the girls groaned.
"Remind me to never have him switch that on EVER again." Annabella mumbled to Nya.
Zane turned off the switch, sighing. "This doesn't change anything. This just makes you... more special!" Cole insisted. "You're still the same Zane, just more... gears."
"And no matter what you're made of, you're still our brother." Kai told him.
"Really?" Zane asked.
"Yeah! Come on, this'll make you even better!" Nya put in.
"And how cool is it to honestly say, my brother is a nindroid *Note: In Microsoft Word, the only suggestion to word this is nimrod. So weird.*?" Jay said, only to get smacked on the head by Annabella.
"Not helping!" She hissed.
"A nindroid?" Zane said, confused.
"Besides this, we've got the Serpentine and the first fang blade to worry about. We need you." Cole said, but Zane shirked away.
"You'll have to go on without me. I just don't feel right." Zane murmured, going back to his blueprints on the table. A second later, the others (excluding Diane) walked away silently.
"We should give him time. I don't know how I'd feel if I found out I was a robot." Kai said.
"You mean a nindroid." Jay insisted.
"Yeah... not so much." Annabella said, rolling her eyes.
"More to the point, how do we get out of here?" Cole asked, looking around.
In the distance, there was a loud roar. "What's that?" Emera said, slightly scared.
"Birds?" Jay said hopefully.
"Not quite!" Nya said, motioning to between some trees. The 'trees' seemed to be moving. "It's the treehorns!"
The ninja were soon surrounded, and pulled out there weapons. The dead robot on the ground jerked, and Annabella groaned.
"I think that was supposed to keep these things in line!" She said.
The ninja fought as hard as they could, but there were simply too many of them. Most of the ninja ended up being tossed around like chew toys.
Back inside the tree...
Zane continued to study each inch of the blueprints while Diane rested on one of the chairs. She sighed, and Zane looked at her. "Why aren't you with the others?"
"I think you are in need of more help than them." Diane answered. "Zane, nothing changes. It is simply a part of you."
"But..." Diane grasped Zane's free hand.
"Remember how I told you I don't have any memories besides the facility?" She asked. Zane nodded. "Perhaps I could make more... with you." She said quietly.
Zane put down the blueprints and took Diane's other hand in his. "Are... are you sure?" He said uneasily.
"Yes." Diane whispered. Slowly, Zane lowered his lips to hers and they began a gentle, soft kiss. For both, it was the first they could remember, and were glad this was the one.
After a minute Zane pulled away. Diane knew he was merely catching his breath, and smiled. He smiled back then looked at the blueprints. "I think I've found something." Zane squinted, trying to read the handwriting, "I-I have a memory switch."
"Use it." Diane told him. While she was slightly jealous at the fact Zane could now regain his memories, she knew this was for the best.
Zane opened his panel, and Diane carefully flipped the switch labeled 'memory'. Zane jerked his head, looking upward.
Flashbacks
A man looked at him, smiling. "Hello Zane."
The man held up Zane as he began walking for the first time. Zane looked in the mirror, seeing himself in a plain white shirt and white pants.
Zane kicked a ball, only for it to come back and hit him in the head. The man rushed to Zane's side, helping him back up.
The man began showing Zane how to cook. At first confused, Zane was then delighted. The man just smiled.
Zane hugged one of the toys the man- his father- had made for him. The man was smiling in the background, but you could see he was becoming older, while Zane never aged.
Now his father had created the falcon, Zane's favorite of his father's inventions.
Zane continued to play with the toys and falcon, while his father set up a camera. Quickly, his father took a photo of himself, Zane, and the falcon.
His father sat on his bed, smiling while Zane held a butterfly. "You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves." His father told him.
Zane, nodding, released the butterfly.
Zane's father had grown sick and now never left his bed. With a worried look, Zane tended to his father.
"You were always the son I never had." His father croaked. "It's time you began your next stage in life. And the only reason I'm about to do this, is because I love you."
Zane smiled slightly as his father opened his panel. A second later, his face became blank as his memory switch was turned off.
His father died, and Zane closed his panel unconsciously, turning around and looking confused by his surroundings.
End Flashbacks
Zane shed a single tear, worrying Diane. "Did... did you see anything?"
Turning to her, Zane smiled. "I saw my father, and the good times we had." He whispered.
"Oh Zane, that's wonderful." Diane replied, happy. She wrapped her arms around Zane neck, gently pecking his lips.
Nodding, Zane grabbed Diane's hand and they exited the tree. Though joyful, they immediately became serious at seeing the circumstances outside. Quickly, Diane and Zane managed to return their teammates' weapons.
"So, what's the plan?" Annabella asked, panting. The treehorns roared and began to walk away.
"Are they retreating?" Cole said hopefully.
"Not quite." Diane answered. Sure enough, a much larger treehorn came forward.
"What's that?!" Jay squeaked.
"Their queen." Zane said grimly.
"Ideas?" Nya asked.
"Wait! That thing's like a horse, right?" Emera pointed out.
"Not really!" Kai said, dodging.
"Still, big body, held up by skinny legs. I rode horses, and if I ever learned anything, it's if you break the legs, it's down for good!" Emera added.
"Already on it!" Annabella used her sword for some water and quickly froze sections of each leg on the Queen Treehorn. Immediately after, everyone blasted the legs. The Queen screeched in pain before falling over, unmoving.
"Nice job!" Nya high-fived Emera.
"What happened?" Cole asked Zane.
"I remembered everything. I remember my father, and how he cared for me. I feel better for knowing." He answered.
"This is awesome! We have a brother who's-" Jay was promptly cut off by Annabella smacking her hand over his mouth.
"Shut up." She grunted.
Okay, chapter done! Now, I said in the last chapter my username MIGHT change. It also may not.
And on my other story; people, I need a MINIMUM of two more reviews by Wednesday. Otherwise, next story will begin in its place!