Review Replies:
StoryMaker7: I know, right? Maybe he felt guilty about replacing the original Zane.
TheAmberShadow: Yeah, I love brotherly fluff too! And I'll get into why Echo remembers Skybound eventually. Also, I don't think PIXEL will be getting a body in this, and yes, Echo's going to be rather curious about her.
Ninjagorulz: Thanks! I'm going to have to agree with you on there not being enough Echo-Zane fics, and I really do hope this story gets the idea out there!
Chapter Two:
Sparkle
His joints shifted soundlessly, his gears moving together as though they were one. The rust that had once coated his metallic frame was gone, replaced by dark, shiny, slightly copper-colored metal. His eyes were no longer covered in sticky dirt and stains, rolling inside their sockets with ease, and he'd never before been able to see so clearly.
Echo hadn't felt this good since the day he was first made.
"That's much better." said Nya, as the two robots made their way back downstairs. The rickety table, which had been scrubbed clean, was covered with chipped plates and bent cutlery, piled high with food from they'd gotten off the Bounty.
Zane nodded in agreement, looking his new found little brother up and down, a satisfied smile on his face. "Yes, I believe he is."
Echo beamed back at him, Gizmo giving off a series of beeps and nudging the larger bots leg. He grinned down at him, reaching out and patting his head.
The newly improved robot maintained his beaming grin throughout almost all of dinner, sitting between Zane and the red one (Kyle?). He was a bit hesitant to eat the stuff they'd given him, which consisted of some sort of light brown meat on a bone, thin yellow sticks that varied in sizes and leafy-looking balls on the side (he'd spotted the ghost (Casper?) putting his leafy balls onto Jay's plate while he wasn't looking). But after watching Zane start eating the new food without a second thought, Echo did the same, and was quite pleased with the flavor the burst to life on his taste buds.
Well, except for the leafy balls. No wonder Connor (Christopher? Cooper?) had thrown his away.
While everyone else got a cup of some sort of orange liquid, Echo and Zane were given oil, much to the younger bots delight. He was mostly silent during dinner, content to just sit there and listen to the chatter around him, so very different from the silence he was used to.
"So, Echo," the bearded man (who he was fairly sure was called Wonky) spoke up, drawing attention to him for the first time in a while, "How long have you been here by yourself?"
Echo blinked, suddenly finding every face turned towards, Zane frowning, if only slightly. He thought for a moment, scrambling through his memory unit to piece together his answer.
"A few years, I believe." he said slowly, "My father finished building me around three or four years after arriving at the lighthouse. I was only around for a couple months, perhaps a year, before he locked me in the basement and powered me down. When Gizmo woke me up, he was gone."
"That must have been after we rescued him." said Lloyd (was it Lloyd? It might have been Lukas).
Nya shook her head, giving the table top a frown. "Why would he lock you up like that?"
"He said it was because I wasn't 'him.'" Echo explained, shrugging, his parts not even squeaking, "I think he might have been referring to the original Zane."
Zane was silent, looking down at his shiny metal hands, clasped together in his lap, his electric blue eyes dulling ever so slightly. Echo could have almost sworn someone was talking, a low mumble to his robotic ears, but when he looked around, he saw no lips moving. After a moment, Zane closed his eyes and sighed, before looking up at his newfound brother.
"I'm sorry about that, Echo-Zane. He shouldn't have done that to you."
Echo blinked at him, confusing flashing across his unit. "Done what to me?"
Now everyone was staring at him, eyes filled with shock and even a bit of horror. Echo simply frowned, looking to Zane for an explanation, but he seemed to be the worse off. His mouth was hanging open ever so slightly, his eyes wide and his face twisted into a look of pure dismay, perhaps horror. A stone was in Echo's circuits, tangling his wires and sinking to his stomach section, his throat squeezing and his clockwork heart's ticking becoming slightly louder.
What had he said wrong? They weren't going to leave him alone again, were they?
"You-" Jay faltered, his voice quite, "You think what he did to you was okay?"
Echo's heart ticked a little faster. He wasn't sure how to answer. "Did what to me?"
Wonky (Winky?) coughed into his fist, muttering to himself. "Oh, dear."
"Echo," the grey-haired lady said, her voice gentle, "He locked you in the basement and left you there to rot. Do you see nothing wrong with that?"
"He was upset." said Echo, still rather confused by the looks he was receiving, "He wanted Zane, but I'm not him, so I had to go."
"That gives him no right." Zane scowled at the table top, his hands clenched into fists, eyes hard, "You were still his son, it doesn't matter if you weren't his first. I would have been ecstatic to learn that not only had I been reunited with my father, but I had a little brother too."
Echo blinked, not entirely sure how he was supposed to respond to that. "Oh."
The room descended into an awkward silence, no one knowing what to say next. After a long moment, Wonky Winky Wu got to his feet, clapping his hands together. "Well, I say it's around time we all head to bed. If we don't get back to Ninjago soon, the public will go insane with idiotic theories and far-fetched guesses."
Ghostly groaned. "No cake?"
"No cake."
Everyone got to their feet, Zane hesitating before doing the same, still frowning at Echo and unwilling to drop the subject. As the new arrivals wandered off in search of rooms to spend the night in, Echo slipped down the stairs and back into the basement, Gizmo zipping after him with a series of beeps.
The secret door was still open from this morning, and Echo didn't bother closing it this time. He briefly considered sleeping upstairs with the others, but decided against it. He didn't want to be a bother.
The rain had slowly disappeared throughout dinner, although the ground was still damp and the air thick with the aftermath, the sea splashing against the rocks roughly. Echo curled up on the floor in the far corner, giving him a perfect view of the open door, resting his head against the wall. Gizmo came to sit next to him, settling down on his wheels, his lights going slightly darker as he powered down into sleep, although they were still rather bright in the basement's darkness.
Echo closed his eyes with a contented sigh, curling into a metallic ball. He was almost completely in Rest Mode when the basement stairs creaked, and his eyes snapped open, head turning to the basement door so fast it almost hurt. For a split second, he thought it was the pirates, but then his fogged eyes met glowing electric blue ones.
"Zane?" Echo said, straightening into a sitting positioning, as said bot made his way down the rest of the stairs and over to him. He was carrying a large, patched blanket.
"You sleep down here?" asked Zane, coming to a stop in front of Echo, "Why not up in one of the bedrooms?"
Echo shrugged. He'd never really thought about it.
Zane frowned at him, but didn't say anything. Instead, he flung the blanket over Echo's front, who jumped at the sudden action, eyes widening in surprise when Zane got down on the floor and crawled under it to join him. He gave the younger bot a small smile, before leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes for a rest.
Echo stared at him for a long moment, before a smile of his own titled his metal lips, and he settled down against the wall as well, his head almost resting on Zane's shoulder. The titanium droid shifted slightly, not opening his eyes, wrapping an arm around Echo's back and pulling him into a half hug, his head on top of the shorter bots head.
Gizmo gave of a chorus of annoyed beeps, flaying his arms and tripping over his wheels as he struggled to get himself out from under the blanket. Still beeping in a form of a rant, he climbed up onto the blanket and plopped down in the two other droids lap, giving a small grumble before settling down again and going back to sleep.
Zane and Echo gave him amused smiles, before they themselves settled back down in their little half cuddle, the stars sparkling through the small windows and the sound of the sea a small hum to their ears.
Echo stood at the very back of the flying ship, his feet firmly planted on the edge and his shiny metal fingers curled around a rope, a worn out leather journal clutched to his chest with the other. Gizmo sat atop a barrel next to him, the lighthouse slowly getting further and further away, so that it was a mere speck on the horizon.
"Are you okay?"
The droid blinked, twisting around to find Zane standing a little ways away. The gears in his brother's legs and shoulders were tense, as though he was about to leap forwards and grab him. Gizmo beeped.
"I'm alright." said Echo, turning fully so that his back faced the shrinking lighthouse, "It's just... I haven't truly ever been outside the lighthouse's island. I was more focused on fighting those pirates."
He looked over his shoulder again. The lighthouse was too small to see now, even with his enhanced vision. He wondered if this would be the last time he ever saw it.
Echo wasn't just how to feel about that thought.
"Are you scared?" asked Zane, moving to at his side, still looking as though he was ready to grab him and pull him away. Echo looked down at the ocean bellow them, crashing and smashing against the rocks, thinking the question over.
Finally, he shrugged, looking over at Zane- his big brother- with a smile, fogged eyes faintly glowing. "Why should I be? You're here."
Zane's face morphed into a look of surprise, but it soon melted away into a small, soft smile. He reached out and took Echo's hand, who hopped down from the ledge, the boards creaking slightly beneath his feet.
They smiled at each other for a moment, before Zane's eyes trailed down to the leather journal, still clutched against Echo's chest. "What's that?"
Fogged eyes blinked, and Echo looked down at it, before holding it up, his other hand still clasped with Zane's. "It was father's journal. I didn't want to leave it behind."
Zane made a small noise in the back of his throat, his back stiffening slightly, his eyes not wavering from the journal. A curious spark was in his eyes. "May I see it?"
"Of course." Echo handed the journal over, letting go of Zane's hand and clasping his own behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels as Gizmo attempted to get down from the barrel by himself. Zane opened the journal, taking in the writing within moments and moving onto the next one, flipping through them and skipping some.
He came to a stop at the very last page, his brow furrowed slightly. Echo knew what he was reading. He'd read it so many that he'd practically memorized it, and for the first time ever, he realized who it was truly addressed to.
Zane,
I know you'll be mad, if you ever find out about him. But I just couldn't do it, and I'm sorry. I'm not sure what you'll think of him, but maybe you can look after him much like I looked after you.
Your Father.
Zane was silent for a long moment, staring at the letter but not seeing it. Echo heard that little mumbling noise again, and looked around for the source, but it was only them and Gizmo.
After a moment, Zane sighed, handing the journal back. "Do you still think him locking you in the basement was okay?"
Echo blinked at him, looking down at the journal in his hands. "I don't think it was very nice of him."
An almost unwillingly smile appeared on Zane's face at that, a small chuckle rising from his throat. "Yeah." He slung an arm around Echo's shoulders, Gizmo falling to the floor with a series of beeps, and began to lead him to the main deck.
"But you've got me now."
Echo had officially decided that he did not like the media.
When he and the Ninja had arrived in Ninjago, they were almost immediately swarmed by people screaming at the top of their lungs and the flashes of cameras. These people immediately stuck their nose into business that had nothing to do with them, asking questions about Jay and Nya (for a reason Echo couldn't comprehend), and how Nya was 'finally able to choose between them, and why she chose Jay instead of Cole.'
Then they spotted 'two Zanes,' and then they was even more questions, and Lloyd (he was still 49% sure it was Lukas) had shouted something about them being brothers and honestly, it had only gotten worse from there.
Echo had abruptly found microphones being jabbed at his face, and over a million questions being fired at him like a rain of bullets. The few that he was able to understand were things like 'where have you been,' 'what do you think about your brother being a Ninja,' 'why were you built exactly like him.' Questions that even Echo didn't want to answer, or know the answer to, and he'd eventually just started hiding behind Zane.
Then there was the city itself. It was large and bright and loud, it sent the thrill of adventure tingling up Echo's robotic spine, while at the same time making his clockwork heart tick faster with fear. After spending his entire life in the lighthouse, with nothing put the squawk of the seagulls and the crash of the waves, both Echo and Gizmo found their nights to be sleepless, and neither of them had ventured far into the city. The farthest Echo had gone was to a corner store for milk near the end of their street, and even then that had been with Zane, and they'd been wearing hoodies, hats and sunglasses in an attempt to appear as normal citizens.
When they'd first arrived, there hadn't had a bed for him. There were very few bedrooms, and the Ninja had to share one filled with bunk beds. Echo had been all for sleeping on the floor, but Zane had insisted he take his bed. It hadn't mattered, really, since Echo had later crawled out of bed because it was far too comfy than he was used to and ended up cuddling up with Zane on the blankets they'd set up on the floor. They'd awoken the next morning to quite a bit of giggling, and Nya taking pictures on her phone.
He'd been here three days, but still wasn't sure if whether or not he liked living in the city. But he had new friends here, people who accepted him without a moments hesitation, and he had Zane with him. That's all he wanted, really.
So Echo would bare the sleepless nights until he got used to the constant noise, he'd hide his face from the citizens and the reporters, and he'd resist the temptations he'd sometimes have to go outside and explore. Because, he supposed, that was much better than being alone again.
The boat rocked back and forth on the waves, a soft wind ruffling my dark hair and clothes. I take another long drag from my cigar, before flicking it over the side of the ship and into the green water, the little flame on its tip going out in a small puff.
I climb over the side of the boat and onto the deck, which was covered with holes and appeared to still be getting rebuilt, tossing the captain a purse without looking at him, not caring if he caught it or not. From his annoyed grunt and the sound of coins hitting wood, it's safe to assume he didn't.
Then again, I'm far from caring.
The wooden planks creak beneath my feet as I make my way into the half destroyed city, workers hardly glancing at me as they repaired their homes and stores. Some of the people were wearing rags, their feet bare and their eyes tired. A homeless family is sitting outside the wrecked pub, a father, a toddler and a newborn, watching a women I assume to be the mother hammering away at the side of a building. Both parents look exhausted, the father more so. They must be taking turns.
I toss a coin into the toddlers cracked bowel, and enter the pub.
It was practically demolished. Broken beams sat on the floor, gaping holes in the floor led way to the ocean right bellow, the walls were crumbling and the roof was nothing but jagged splinters, while any glass that had been inside was nothing but shards.
A scowl crossed my face.
They were late.
Mindful of the holes and broke boards, I made my way over to the counter, covered in broken glass and concrete dust, leaning against it and pulling out another cigar. I stuck it between my teeth, taking out a lighter and flicking it, the small flame appearing and almost looking like it was dancing in the light breeze coming from the holes in the walls. Before I could light my cigar, however, a voice broke through the silence and I froze.
"You shouldn't smoke, y'know."
A slightly stronger wind burst through, blowing out the little flame and leaving my cigar unlit. I grunt, taking the cigar out of my mouth but not putting it away, turning to the far corner, where the voice had come from.
It was a girl, leaning against the wall, her white hair streaked with a dulling purple. Her face was thin and pale, her lips curved upwards into a small smile, her clothes ragged and torn. She was barefoot, and seemed to care not for the cold wind hitting us in small gusts. I raised my eyebrows at her, my surprise hidden behind a mask of indifference.
It was the women I'd assumed to be the homeless families mother.
"You must be Carrot." she said, not moving.
"And you," I say, "Are not Ren."
"He couldn't be here."
Bull. "Why?"
The women shrugged. She couldn't have been much older than me. "Who knows. He's him."
"And I'm me." I push myself off the counter, crossing my arms and shifting my weight to one foot. "I don't like surprises. He said he'd be here."
"But he couldn't be here." the women said simply, unfazed, "So he sent me in his place. You want to do this deal or not?"
I was silent for a moment, the women not breaking eye contact with me, my brown on her violet. I nod. The women smiles.
"Alright." she pushes herself off the wall, stalking towards me with a sway of her hips, hopping up onto the counter as though the glass and splinters on it had never even existed. She leaned forwards, placing her elbows and her knees. "Where do we start?"
"Probably along the lines of my pay."
The women laughs, a soft, sweet sound. "Don't worry, Carrot. We'll get to that." she leans back, splaying her palms against the counter, her smirk turning ever so slightly darker. Her violet eyes shone with promise. My mask doesn't waver.
"But let's start with the Ninja."
And scene. I'm glad so many of you liked the first chapter, and I just want you to know, I'm focusing more on my other story than this one, but I do plan to finish it. I really like the plot me and my friend Gommie have got planned out, and I hope you guys like it too.
Also, a very happy birthday to Ariza Luca! ::D