Zane knocked on an apartment door numbered 39b, then stood back to wait for an answer. He glanced down at the sleeping cat curled up snuggly against his soft white hoodie, twitching in his dreams, then at the rest of his family just behind him. The bandages around his torse were almost ready to come off.
Cole was giving him a reassuring nod and thumbs up. Jay was fiddling with a bent paper clip, unusually quiet. Lloyd looked about two seconds away from crying but was doing a valiant job of trying to hide it, painting a supportive smile on his face. Kai had his arms crossed, doing his best to look disinterested, but Zane didn't miss the glances he kept stealing at the ball of fluff in his arms.
The sound of a lock unbolting brought Zane back around to look at a pair of wide brown eyes staring back at him in the doorway. A taller woman stood behind him, hands on the kid's shoulders with a polite smile on her face.
Zane smiled and sat on his heels so he could look him in the eyes. "Hey there," he said. "You're Nelson, right?"
Nelson gave a slight nod, mouth still hanging slightly open. He craned his neck beyond Zane's metal frame and gave a timid wave at Cole, who returned the gesture.
"Yeah, I know who you guys are."
Zane chuckled, "Yes. I hope your studies have been going well?"
Nelson seemed to recover enough from his surprise to remember his manners, "Yeah, I'm going to another school closer to home so I can stay with my family. I really like it."
Zane nodded, "I'm glad to hear that. I... I have something for you, Nelson, and I need you to promise me you'll take very good care of him."
"Him?" Nelson asked, gasping a little as Zane showed him Yuki, now blinking blearily as he woke up. The kid stole a questioning glance at his mother before tentatively reaching a hand out to stroke his soft white ear tufts.
"They called me yesterday and asked for permission. I know you'll be responsible and take good care of him." She answered his unspoken question as she tucked a tuft of his own hair behind his ear and nodded to Zane's offering.
Nelson turned and carefully reached his arms out to accept the little warm body as Zane transferred the cat into his grasp. Yuki tensed, head cutting from the ice ninja to the kid holding him in confusion. Wait, what was happening? Why was Zane looking at him like that?
"It's time for you to protect someone else now, Yuki." Zane's eyes shone glossy as he held the cat's gaze. But he was smiling, a real smile. He took a step to the side so the rest of his brothers could see him.
Jay sniffed a little and handed off his paper clip to Nelson, the wire bent and twisted into the shape of a mouse, tail and all. "Take care of yourself, offspring of darkness," he ordered, blue and brown eyes shiny.
Cole came forward next, strong smile reassuring Yuki as his huge hand stroked his back. "You're really something else, you know that?" He didn't say much else, but somehow Yuki understood every word he wanted to say.
Kai shoved his hands in his pockets, staring hard at the cat. Yuki met his gaze evenly, knowingly. The two shared a kind of unspoken word between them. A kind of understanding that ran deeper than words ever could. "Thank you," he said simply, and that was all that was needed. Yuki nodded to him.
Lloyd took the cat's face in his hands and stroked his cheek, Yuki gazing into those big open-hearted eyes. He knew The First Master had big plans for this one. Yuki rested his paw on one of his fingers and purred, telling him that... it was ok.
Zane once again bent down and strokes the bridge of his nose, saying one last goodbye, "We will see each other again, little one. I promise." With that he planted a soft kiss on his forehead and straightened, smiling politely at Nelson and his mother. "Thank you again."
And then they were gone, the last of jays bright blue jacket vanishing behind the corridor. As Nelson tore his wide eyes away from the spot his heroes occupied, his mother guided him inside for lunch. And Yuki let himself be carried away.
A teenager with rusty curled hair wearing a purple t-shirt stood in front of a little mound of dirt, sneakers and fingertips speckled with mud as he gazed at the pebble marking the tiny grave.
Yuki was painted with delicate flowers pointed up at the sky just beginning to drizzle.
The boy felt a hand tap his arm. "Mommy told me to come and get you for lunch." Nelson looked down at his little sister looking up back at him and gave a small smile. "Yeah, I'm coming. Just give me a minute, kay?" The girl nodded and plodded back toward their kitchen door, her teddy bear dragging behind her in the mud.
Nelson turned back to the grave and crouched down, placing a flower he'd picked on top of the stone. "I'll see you again, little guy." He smiled again, this time a real one, and put his hands in his pockets as he trudged back to his house.
Wait wait wait! we got one more chapter! Stay tuned!