Review Replies:

TheAmberShadow: Haha, that's brilliant! Here's your update!

StoriesAreMagic: Thanks so much! I'm so happy you're enjoying the story.

Erio99: Thanks! And yeah, Kai's not gonna be too happy about that.

MagicQuill42: *whispers* we both have 42 at the end of our usernames.

DragonWhisperer762: Nah, just brotherly love. And do not fear! Echo's not dead... yet.

INFJwriter: Haha, yeah, I loved that part.

Ariza Luca: I love epic endings.

Chapter Eight:

Shards

The apartment I was residing in was small, but not terrible. There were three rooms: the bedroom, the bathroom, and the connected living room and kitchen, the carpets old and mouldy, and the tiles cracked and stained. The walls were chipped and needed repainted, and the windows had terrible drafts leaking through, although the heavy curtains strung in front of them dealt with that just fine.

It was far from the best place I'd ever stayed in, but it wasn't the worst either.

I leaned back in my tattered armchair, my fingers itching for a cigar, but I knew it was certainly not the best idea as of now. So I forced myself to remain in my seat, crossed my arms over my broad chest, tapping my foot against the stained carpet and chewing on my bottom lip, much like how I'd chew on my cigars.

The phone rang, breaking through the sound of the traffic on the street bellow. I grunted, annoyed, but got up and retrieved the device from the rickety wooden table in the middle of the kitchen.

"What?"

Tutting drifted through from the other end, causing my scowl to deepen. "No need to be so rude, darling."

"Don't call me darling." I snapped. Only she had ever been allowed to call me that.

"Why so grumpy?" she asked, "We put one of the Ninja in the hospital. As far as I know, that's never been done before."

"That blast was bigger than Soren said it was going to be." I pointed out, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of beer, "You could've killed Seamus."

She laughed, as though I had said something amusing. "Now why would I care if he lived or died?"

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"Well, anyway," she continued, unconcerned, "How's our poor wittle fire Ninja? Did we kill him?"

"He's alive." I closed the fridge with my foot and made my way back into the living room, plopping down into my armchair and popping open the beer, "But he won't be out fighting anytime soon."

"Good." A pause. "We didn't think he would be the one to open it."

I took a pull of my beverage, letting out a long breath when I pulled away. "I got that part. How's the little guy?"

"Scared out of his mind, from what I've heard." she said, "They've been torturing him, too."

I blinked, setting my beer on the coffee table. "But everything went according to plan, more or less."

"And still is."

A beat of silence. I nodded slowly, although she couldn't see it. "When will it have arrived?"

"About now."

My eyebrows raise to my hairline, and I glance at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was four in the morning. "You have any idea when they'll be shown it?"

At the back of my mind, I imagined her shrugging. "Probably in a couple hours or so. Tonight, at the latest."

"I heard he might need physical therapy." I muttered, purposefully changing the subject, "The Smith boy, I mean."

There was a short moment of silence. She knew what I was doing. "Not having second thoughts, are we?"

"Of course not." I sneered, "As long as you give me what I want."

"You'll get it, don't worry." she was silent again, as though hesitating. My eyes narrowed. I took another sip of my beer. "Why do you want it, anyway?"

"I need it." I say simply, "That's all you have to know."

A huff. "Fair enough. I don't understand why you don't just take it right now, though."

"I have my reasons." I scowled. Her questions were starting to get irritating. I didn't like questions any more than I liked surprises. "Now don't you have other things to worry about?"

"Not really. Ren's thinking about sending the nindroid's brother to the factory, though. Says it'll make him useful."

I scoff, rolling my eyes. "First off, he's already useful. Second off, he may not be as smart or as skilled as his brother, but give him the right tools and a good opening, and he'll be off."

"You really think that?"

"No." I take another gulp of beer, "I know that."

"How so?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice, although it sounded as though she was trying to mask it. "He's only been around for a month, and there's been nothing big enough that's caught the media's attention about him, other than how he's the nindroid's little brother and all that."

"Oh, but darling," I chuckled, shaking my head and sitting my beer back on the coffee table. My hand slides down the side of the armchair into my bag, running a long finger along the side of the teapot. I could almost hear her annoyance.

"He helped stop a Djinn."

After Cole accidentally broke Echo's eye, he and the others did their best to take it down a notch while playing video games to avoid it happening again. While Echo highly appreciated this, he still tended to avoid the living room when they decide to put on the console, or at the very least stay away from where they were sitting.

It wasn't like he minded very much, though. He was quite content to just play with Gizmo, draw pictures or practice the moves that Zane and the others had been teaching him. Besides, it wasn't like they were on the console twenty-four seven, unless you count Jay doing solo rounds.

He could hear them playing in the living room from where he sat with Gizmo on the bedroom floor, a chessboard between them, yelling and grunting as though the hits their characters were receiving was actually being dealt upon them.

Gizmo moved his rook two squares to the left, giving a victorious beep. Echo blinked, looking down at the chess board. He was unsurprised to discover that his king was in check-mate.

The smaller bot gave a questioning beep. Echo shook his head.

"I think I'm finished with chess for the day." he glanced around the room, taking in the three neatly made beds and the three others that looked like they'd just been hit by a tornado. "What would you like to do now?"

Another beep, followed by the whir of shrugging shoulders. Gizmo moved around Echo and the chess board, zooming out of the bedroom. Curious, Echo followed him, making a mental note to clean up the chess pieces later.

The floorboards creaked loudly beneath his feet, the Bounty rocking ever so slightly from side to side, gusts of wind slamming against the sides. He glanced out one of the circular windows as he passed, the stars just starting to appear, speckled across the evening sky.

They were about fifteen-twenty minutes from Ninjago City, hovering thirty feet in the air, above a barren landscape made up of stout trees and tall grass infested with tiny insects, arachnids and small animals like rabbits, mice and snakes.

Gizmo sharply rounded the corner, stopping in front of the archway leading into the living room, the sound of the others playing their game becoming louder.

Echo paused, curling a hand around the edge of the archway and poking his head through, the rest of his body hidden behind the wall.

Zane, Nya and Cole had were taking up the couch, the Earth Elemental with his feet in Zane's lap. Jay was sitting on the floor, back pressed against Nya's legs, while Kai and Lloyd were squished together on a bean bag, pushing against each other, all six pairs of eyes glued to the screen.

Gizmo looked up at Echo, pointing a clawed hand towards the group suggestively. Kai gave an annoyed yell, shoving Lloyd off the bean bag entirely. Echo winced, shaking his head.

The smaller bot didn't look too happy, but he gave a reluctant bleep and continued down the hall, Echo right behind him.

"-To him?! What the hell did you-"

Echo stopped in front of the open kitchen door, Gizmo continuing down the hall a little more before realizing he was no longer being followed. He turned around with a questioning beep, Echo's eyes going to the shelf right next to the stove, where a cream coloured jar sat.

He wanted another cookie.

Gizmo gave a confused bleep as he followed Echo into the kitchen, and would have probably looked bewildered if he'd had the ability to produce expressions as he watched his much larger friend drag a chair from the kitchen table over to the counter.

Echo climbed up onto the chair and stretched as far as he could, on his tip toes, mouth twisting downwards upon realizing the jar was still out of reach. He put his knee up on the counter, pushing himself higher, his fingers brushing against the top shelf where the treats sat.

There was a loud, exclaiming beep behind him, and Echo turned to give Gizmo a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Gizmo, I'll only have one."

He turned back to the jar, jaw setting in determination, and climbed up onto the counter, fingers brushing against the object's cream-coloured side. Gizmo gave a long, loud beep, starting to zoom around the table in a large circle, causing the noise from the living room to falter.

Echo ignored him for the time being, deciding to focus on his objective, and grasped the edge of one of the lower shelves with his hand, pushing himself higher. Gizmo's scream-beeping increased, a smile spreading across Echo's metal lips as his fingers closed around the top of the jar.

"Is that Gizmo?"

"-Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god-"

The bot looked down at Gizmo, smiling widely as he held up the jar for him to see, and was just about to start making his way down to him when the shelves shuddered, before giving out entirely.

A short scream emitted from Echo's throat as he fell alongside the jars, bottles and spices, his back slamming into the top of the chair causing it to topple over and slam into the ground. Glass shattered, sending shards and grains of salt, pepper and sugar flying across the room, the cookie jar smashing right next to him and leaving a pile of broken cookies and cream-coloured shards.

Echo blinked slowly at the ceiling, dazed, his lower half lying on the toppled chair. He was dimly aware of the pain flaming up his middle back and head, and the sound of running feet heading in his direction.

"Echo!"

Groaning quietly, Echo rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself up onto his knees. He reached out, half-blind, and brushed away a few shards of creamy pottery, pulling out one of the few non-broken cookies.

He looked up, startled to discover the Ninja standing in the kitchen doorway, gaping at him. Echo sent them a smile, holding up his treat. "Cookie!"

-Talking, someone was talking, desperate pleas and panicked words of comfort not truly meant for him, shaky hands yanking at twisted parts and bent gears, desperately trying to be gentle and stumbling over constant apologies as the screams only got louder-

Zane was the first to move after a long moment of simply gaping, broken glass crunching beneath his titanium feet as he made his way over to Echo. His fingers curled around his elbow as he bent down in front of him, electric eyes scanning his body. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Echo hummed, too busy munching on his snack to properly answer.

"Are you okay?" Zane repeated, a bit more firmly, "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

Echo shook his head, taking another large bite of his cookie. Zane looked over his shoulder at his elemental siblings, most of who simply shrugged at him, before turning back to Echo as he finished off his cookie.

Shaking his own head, Zane scooped his younger brother up, who had just enough time to grab another treat off the floor. "I'm going to, uh, take him into the living room."

"It's fine, Zane." said Nya, "We'll get this cleaned up." Jay groaned, but quickly fell silent when his girlfriend jammed her elbow into his ribs.

Sending them a grateful look, Zane carried Echo into the living room, who finished his cookie seconds after they'd entered the hall. The shorter bot must have started to realize he'd done something wrong, because his smile slowly faded, and he started to fidget in his brothers arms.

Zane sat him down on the couch, giving him a proper look-over to make sure he hadn't obtained any damage.

"Zane?"

How quiet it was said startled him slightly, and Zane looked up from where he'd been inspecting Echo's side, his eyes meeting nervous, slightly fearful fogged yellow. "Yeah?"

"I..." Echo faltered, eyes darting away to look at the back of the couch. Zane frowned, moving to sit beside him on the cushions.

"What is it?" he asked, "Are you hurt?"

"W-What? No, I'm fine, it's just..." Echo fidgeted, hunching his shoulders as though trying to make himself smaller, "You... you're not gonna... send me back to the lighthouse, are you?"

Zane blinked at him, mouth opening slightly, "Come again?"

"I-I didn't mean to break it!" the younger bot abruptly exclaimed, making the titanium droid jump, "I swear, it was an accident, I j-just wanted a cookie." he curled further into himself, almost like a ball, fearful fogged eyes looking into shocked electric blue, "Please don't send me back."

"Echo." Zane said, firmly, cupping Echo's face and forcing him to look at him properly, "I will never, ever, abandon you. Do you understand?"

"-Like this! You need him alive, you won't be able to repair him if he's already gone- !"

Echo sniffed. "I... yeah."

Zane smiled, pressing a small kiss to his forehead. "Good."

The sun rose on the horizon in a spray of pink, yellow and orange, turning fluffy clouds pink, chasing away the moon and all the smaller stars. The orb's light reflected off the dust fluttering through the air, slowly turning the sky a bright blue.

The very same light sneaked through the small cracks between the curtains, casting lines of light along the walls and floor. One such line went right over a certain blackhead's face, causing said face to scrunch up in distaste, but he was quick to roll over and return to his dreams.

A soft, steady beeping broke the silence every couple seconds, like a firm, comforting hand that kept most of the room's occupants from screaming. Chairs, some of which had been dragged in from the waiting room, were pulled up as close to the bed as physically possible.

Jay Walker and Nya Smith were cuddled up on two chairs to the left of the bed, the Water Ninja's hand brushing against her brothers arm. Cole Brookestone as at the end of the bed, lounged across a single chair, legs dangling over the side, while Zane Julian rested in a lotus position next to him. Lloyd Garmadon sat on the right side of the bed, head resting next to their injured brother's shoulder, sitting in a chair of his own.

A plastic mask was strapped over Kai Smith's mouth, assisting him with his breathing, the steady beeping coming from the machine next to him connected to his inner elbow by a long, thin wire. Half his face was covered in thick, white bandages, all up both his arms, across his chest and over his stomach. The tips of his hair had been snipped off, the explosion have singed them black.

Wu took this all in from where he stood in the doorway, his brow crinkled in worry. His knees creaked with old age as he made his way into the room, staff lightly tapping against the floor. He reached Cole first, pulling out the black blanket he'd brought with him and throwing it over the Earth Master's curled-up body.

Cole shifted in his sleep, mumbling something about cake, but didn't awaken. Wu place a wrinkled hand on his arm, before moving over to Zane, unravelling the white blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders, adjusting it slightly to it covered his front as well. He didn't even twitch.

The sensei made his way over to Jay and Nya, taking out the dark and light blue blankets he'd brought and tucking it over each other. Jay snuggled closer her, a smile on both their lips.

A smile tugging at his own mouth, Wu made his way to the other side of the bed, pulling out the green blanket and setting it over Lloyd, resting a hand on his blond hair. Now that he got a good look at his nephew, he realized just how exhausted he looked, even in sleep.

Finally, Wu turned to Kai, brow once again creasing in concern as he took in the oxygen mask and bandages. He tugged out the last, bright red blanket and spread it over the plain white one provided by the hospital, giving Kai's non-bandaged hand a squeeze.

"They're more than just your students, aren't they?"

Wu didn't jump, although that didn't mean he hadn't been startled. "I like to think they see me as more than just their sensei."

Misako entered the room fully, two paper cups of tea in her hands. She handed one to Wu, who gave her a grateful smile, before resting her free hand on her son's head, running her fingers through his blond locks.

"I think," she said, making sure to keep her voice quiet, "They see you as a sort of... second-dad. You did take them in, after all."

Wu hummed, sipping at his tea. A lot of his students had some sort of issue with their parents, at least at some point in time. Jay's usually embarrassed by his, especially around strangers, although it had gotten a lot better over time. Cole's relationship with his father had been the thing holding back his true potential in the first place, and lord knows what happened to his mother. Zane's father died, got resurrected, and then died again, and now he's just discovered that he'd made an exact replica of him and abandoned said exact replica at the lighthouse. Lloyd's dad had been his enemy for a time, his mother had left when he was a baby, and he'd obviously felt abandoned because of it. Kai and Nya don't know if their parents are even dead.

The door burst open, making Misako spill her tea all down her front, five of his students shooting up and Nya accidentally knocking Jay onto the floor. Seven pairs of glaring eyes turned to the intruder, followed by quite a lot of shushing. Kai remained still.

The intruder was a young police officer, a rookie from the looks of it, sweat beading his forehead and his hat askew. He went a few shades paler at their glares.

"What is the meaning of this?" Misako hissed, "This is a hospital!"

"I-I'm s-so sorry," the rookie stuttered, his eyes lingering on the unconscious fire Ninja before shoot back to Misako when their glares intensified, "I-It's just that- well, y-you see-"

"Spit it out already!" snapped Nya.

"We've been sent a video." the rookie blurted, his nervous eyes locking with Zane's. "From Basilisk."

First update of 2017! Whoop whoop!

Well, hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Things will be picking up next chapter, this was a bit of a filler. Just to get this out there, I'll be moving to England near the end of February, so I'm going to try to update both this and Movie Mode at least once before then. I'll probably be busy packing up and all that, so we'll just have to see what happens.

Anyway, what d'ya think? Carrot, somehow, knows about Nadakhan. Basilisk has sent the Ninja a certain video. Kai is bedridden. Echo has still drifting in and out of reality. And just what is it that Carrot is getting from all this?