The ninja finally called us up to the bridge.
When we got up there, Alex smiled. "Nancy, Caleb, we've been talking about how you two now have the Mark of the Underworld, or part of it at least."
"Even though it's not a lot, it's still enough for the skeletons to track you," Tove said. "Not all the time, but…well…Zoey how did you describe it?"
"It's similar to a cell phone signal," Zoey said. "Some locations the signal is practically nothing. In most places it would be just fine, but the skeletons won't be able to track it since the Mark has been seperated. We don't know where the signal is most powerful, but where ever that is, the skeletons will be able to track it from there."
"What are you saying?" Nancy asked.
"We're saying, you two are going to need training in case the skeletons try to attack," Jay said.
"Also, Nancy, I would like to see how far you can take your powers," Dad said. "If that is okay with you."
"Totally!" Nancy shouted. "Training with Echo!"
I looked to Caleb, wondering if he'd reveal that he had powers and if he'd want to learn more about them.
Caleb looked to me and then at his hands. He seemed to be weighing his options. After a moment, he raised his hand.
"I'd say you don't have to raise your hand," Cole told him, "but if that's how you get our attention…What is it?"
I have powers, too, he signed slowly.
"I don't want to enter his head without permission, but I have no idea what he's signing," Lucas frowned.
"I do," Zane said.
"Me, too," Zoey nodded.
"I caught that," Nya added.
"Don't worry," I assured Lucas. "We'll teach you."
"Okay, so what did he say?" Cole asked.
"He said that he has powers," Nancy translated, though I'm sure she didn't need to look at his hands to know what he was saying for that.
"Really? What are your powers?" Lillie questioned. "Can you go through things, too?"
"Right, because that's just what Ninjago needs, eh," Vanessa mumbled. "More people walking through walls."
Caleb snapped his fingers to get everyone's attention. He told them, I can create objects that I've held before.
"Can you show us?" Zoey asked.
"Yeah, for us who don't know sign language," Kai agreed.
Caleb looked like he wanted to be frustrated, but lots of people in our grade don't know sign language. I mean, he had a special aid in order to communicate to the teacher. (And when I first began playing with them outside, Nancy translated a bunch. She taught me sign language, which I actually picked up pretty quickly.) Caleb motioned his hands in a circle motion and a water balloon appeared.
"Cool!" Jay exclaimed. "Let me see it!"
Caleb looked to me so I nodded. Then, he threw the balloon at Jay and it popped, soaking him in water. Everyone started laughing.
"I'm liking this kid more and more," Cole said.
"Did you plan that?" Alex asked.
Caleb gave her a look like, What do you think?
Then everyone laughed more.
"It wasn't funny," Jay said, his cheeks red.
"It was a little funny," Nya told him, grabbing his hand.
"So we're all going to train together?" I asked.
Mom and Dad exchanged a look, but Garmadon already seemed to know what they were thinking. "Only if it's okay with their parents."
"Oh, everything's cool with my parents," Nancy said. "Literally everything!"
Caleb signed, They let me go with Echo to the Underworld. Though I'm sure they thought it was a game…
Alex seemed to ponder on that. "Did Caleb just find a loophole or did I get some of that wrong?"
"Looked like a loophole to me," I said.
"No loopholes," Wu said. "Neither of you have reached double digits, not to mention the fact that this is serious and dangerous."
Then I'll ask, Caleb assured them. I'm almost positive they'll let me.
"Great," Nya said. "Nancy?"
"I live at the orphanage. I don't have parents," Nancy said. "Ms. Ceader doesn't care for me…or anyone there. So who do you expect me to ask?"
"Ask your oldest roommate!" I suggested. "Becca, right?"
"Oh yeah!" Nancy exclaimed with a giggle.
"I'll walk you guys back into the city," Alex said. "It's no trouble. I've got to stop and get something anyhow."
"Get what, exactly?" Kai asked, very suspicious of Alex.
"Just something," Alex said casually. "Come on. I'll even talk to your parents and roommate if they want more information."
The adults didn't seem to have a problem with it, so Alex and my friend left.
"That was odd, wasn't it?" Jay asked.
"Just a little, eh," Vanessa replied.
"A little? Please! Alex wanting to walk little kids home and then stop to get something? That screams I'm up to no good!" Tove practically shouted.
"Or maybe she needs time to think," Dr. Julien piped in as Wu, Misako, and Garmadon began to leave the bridge. "After she drops them off, she might be going to clear her head. A lot has happened." Then he turned and left with the others.
"Dr. Julien is right," Lloyd agreed. "Alex rarely clears her head here."
Lucas closed his eyes. "I guess I have a range limit," he mumbled. "I can't hear her thoughts."
"Well, the castle was never really that big," Zoey said. "I think there were some tricks in the way the corridors were, all of them looking similar."
My hand grabbed the necklace Joey gave me, careful not to touch the button on accident and worry him. "Or it was magic."
Lucas smiled at me. "Magic doesn't exist."
"Woah, woah, woah," Kai said. "How can you not believe in magic? You read minds! We have elemental powers! Echo can create storms, Joey had Alex suspended in mid-air, and Caleb just made a water balloon appear out of nowhere!"
"Exactly," Cole agreed.
"I can explain my powers," Lucas said. "The human mind can use an average of ten percent at a time. Mine is just slightly more, twelve or thirteen even, allowing me to read other people's thoughts."
"Okay, and what about Zoey's visions?" Jay challenged.
"She's a nindroid. There must've been some slight error in her vision and so now she can she events from the past, present, and those yet to come."
"And everyone else's?" Tove asked.
Lucas paused for a moment like he wasn't entirely sure what to say. Then he calmly stated, "I don't know everything. Though I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable scientific explanation."
"Science, silence, as I always say," Lillie said. "There's no such thing. People just lack the ability to understand magic."
"It's actually the exact opposite," Lucas corrected.
"Guys, we really shouldn't debate whether magic is real or not in front of a seven-year-old, eh!" Vanessa hissed.
"It's fine," I told her. "I know it's real. I've seen Kim use it and Joey use it. Seeing is believing."
Lucas stared at me. "Yeah, I guess seeing is believing unless you're use to illusions." He didn't seem mad, but I could imagine him snapping at me.
"While we're waiting for Alex, anyone hungry?" Lloyd asked.
"We should go to Chen's Noodle House!" Cole suggested. "I love the food there!"
I stuck out my tongue in distaste. "I can't stand that place. It tastes wrong to me."
"Suit yourself, you can stay here," Jay said. "I'm sure the others will watch you."
"I've been to Chen's," Lucas said. "It's been a long time."
"I will stay with Echo," Zoey said. "I'm not comfortable being in the open like that."
Lucas took her hand for a moment, kissing her cheek. "Then you stay here. I'll be back soon. I promise."
The guys all smiled at Lucas and Vanessa and Lillie smiled at Zoey. Tove just looked to the couple and then to the guys. "We should go," she said. "I don't want to get back too late tonight."
They headed out of the bridge. "You sure you don't want anything Echo?" Jay asked.
"Bring me back a fortune cookie," I said.
"You got it!" Then he followed the others.
I looked to Zoey. "That was cute, between you and Lucas. You make a cute couple."
I'm sure if nindroids blushed, Zoey was blushing like crazy. "Thanks," she said. "I didn't think someone as young as you understood something like…well…"
"I know a lot more than I'm giving credit for," I informed her.
Zoey smiled. "Must run in the family."
I sat down at the table. "So, I never thought to look it up, but I think coming from you would be a better source. What's the different between a droid and a robot?"
"Well, an android is more human like as compared to a robot, able to do human-like tasks and feel emotions. Robots on the other hand are more machine than anything and normally are built for specific tasks, lacking an AI," Zoey explained.
"AI?" I questioned. "Oh wait! I know this. A stands for artificial doesn't it?"
Zoey nodded. "Artificial intelligence."
"Do you eat?" I asked. "Zane does."
"No I do not eat," Zoey said, sitting down across from me with an amused smile. "When I was first taken to the Underworld, Lucas started complaining that I wasn't recieving anything to eat. It took a while but he got his head around the fact that I didn't need to eat."
I giggled. "Well, clearly you have human emotions. Like, you love Lucas. Right?"
Zoey nodded gently. "I do. Though, I have a switch that allows me to turn off my emotions." She flipped open a panel on her arm, pointing to a switch labeled, Emotions.
I scanned the switches. From left to right it was, Emotions, Memory, Humor, Fluids (yuck!), and an unlabeled switch. "What's that do?" I asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. "It's bothered me for a while, but I'm afraid to flip it. It could damage my circuits or worse."
"You could ask Dr. Julien. I mean, he did build you."
"I'll consider asking."
I stood up and walked around the bridge, then over to the window. "I wonder what Caleb's parents are saying," I said. "I have a feeling Becca would encourage Nancy to train, but I've never met Caleb's parents."
"Would you like to see?" Zoey asked.
I spun around. "See one of your visions again? Are you sure?"
Zoey nodded and walked over to me. "Just place your hands on mine." She put her arms out, palm up.
I didn't hesitate. I placed my hands on hers.
