Heyo! Guess who forgot to save her word document? Again.
Anywho, I CANNOT believe how close we are to finishing up this story. I have a very long and busy week ahead but I promise as soon as I can, I am going to post the rest of the story. I can't thank you guys enough for your kindness in the review section, for putting up with my irregular updates, and a plethora of grammatical errors. You guys seriously are the best.
Thank you FrozenSoapbubble, TrinityChrystalPrincess87, and RPM Shadow for your reviews!
FrozenSoapbubble: Ah, you raise some excellent points, my dear, luckily there are some answers in this chapter. They don't call Zane the intelligent one for nothing:)
TrinityChrystalPrincess87: hehehe, I had to physically restrain myself from writing *Idina Mendel breaks down the door and sings Let it Go, much to Zane's confusion*
RPM Shadow: Aw, thank you so much!
As soon as Zane made himself comfortable against the wall, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes to better focus on the problem at hand, sensing Yuki had curled up close by.
"Pixal, would you mind pulling up the scan of the passageway?"
Almost instantly, a half-completed image of corridors popped up in his vision, along with several labels he deduced for certain areas.
"We passed two doors leading to different sets of stairs. I could not see exactly where they led but I conclude they are as good a place to start as any. Also, I remember when Clouse stormed out of his cell. If he truly intended to find Skylor, he would have searched around the temple where the other contestants are. He went the same way he came, which happens to be the direction of stairway number two. It is flawed, but it is the strongest lead we have at the moment. I can use my scanner and GPS from there if any complications arise. Have I missed anything?"
"Considering how few other options there are, I am inclined to agree," Pixal admitted, "but Zane, I cannot help but notice this most recent memory file. Why on earth would you teach Skylor to control your element? She will almost certainly use it against either you or your friends." Pixal's tone was threaded with concern, if not a hint of tension.
"I am counting on that. The ninja know that ice was never in the tournament. So do the other masters, if they have been paying any attention. Skylor has no other choice but to either keep my element between her and her father, or use it to her advantage in the tournament, alerting my brothers she has seen me in the process."
"But that still doesn't explain why you wish to help her. This is a dangerous game you are playing, Zane, and I do not believe you have taken every outcome into account."
"Oh, on the contrary, I have run approximately four hundred eighty-seven thousand simulations for every possible outcome and cross-referenced the results with the probability of success. In the scenario with the most favored outcomes, Skylor always plays a vital role." Zane nodded in satisfaction as his calculated numbers scrolled near endlessly on his screen like a Star Wars intro.
Pixal stayed quiet for a minute, "...well would you like to share it with me or should I leave you to it?" She quipped unamused.
Zane nodded again innocently. "I'd be happy to. While Skylor was talking, I took a vitals scan. Anytime she mentioned her father, her heart rate increased significantly, a symptom of fear, disdain, anger, or a combination of all three. Here, read the EKG." He pulled up the recording, highlighting the spiked parts. "It is evident she despises him, opening up room for persuasion to join our side."
Pixal studied it, "this is not necessarily enough to get her to turn against her father. These spikes in heart rate could simply be the fear of being caught fraternizing with a prisoner. And even if your reasonings were accurate, that does not mean for certain she will help us. Fear is more than powerful enough to keep her loyalty in place."
"Very true," he acknowledged, pulling his legs in closer to him, "but I believe the benefits far outweigh the risk. What with Skylor's absorption powers allied with insider's information on Chen, she will be an invaluable ally."
"Besides," Zane continued, growing slightly more somber, "she has been living a life I do not believe anyone deserves to live. I would like to help her if she is willing to allow me to."
Pixal sighed sadly. "You cannot protect everyone, Zane. And not everyone deserves to be protected."
That caused Zane to stop, frowning, "what are you talking about, Pixal? Of course I can."
"Zane," Pixal said, softly but knowingly. She pulled up another memory file, one of Zane carrying a three-legged dog down a busy street. The memory shifted to Zane standing in front of Kai and Nya after Dr. Julian's death. Lastly, the scene of Zane hanging by the golden armor of the Overlord streaked across his mind like a paintbrush.
Zane stayed absolutely quiet.
"I do not wish to upset you," Pixal said cautiously, clearing everything away from his vision. "I only want you to see that—Zane, are you alright?"
Zane had stopped breathing, fists grinding clumps of dirt at his side. The Overlord was right there, looming over him, as real and life-like as the day he died. The sensation of his faceplate being ripped off burned into his head like a branding iron, permanent.
I told you I would always be with you.
He was on top of him, smothering, suffocating, draining any source of light from his cell, leaving him in utter darkness. He was going to die. He was going to die.
No. No no no no no. With everything he had, he pushed back, shoving the cloud of pitch black and fear-clogged bile back down. He pushed so hard he swore he heard the Overlord hiss and spit as it pooled in the pit of his stomach.
"—swer me, please! Zane, are you alright?" Pixal's alarmed voice cut through the panic swirling around his head like a beam of sun, grounding him. He finally took a deep, shaky breath and let the gravel fall between his fingers, cracking his eyes open.
"I, I am fine, Pixal. I must have faulty wiring somewhere. I am sorry." He ran a hand over his face and through his hair, reminding him that he was still there.
Pixal gave an almost exasperated huff, "do not apologize, that is not what I meant! I am worried about you and simply want to—"
"...Zane? Is that you?"
The new voice startled the nindroid, whipping his head around to the face of Cole Brookstone gaping through the cell window, dusted with some white substance so much his raven hair looked more akin to Zane's.
Even Zane hadn't expected that. For a minute all he could do was blink stupified at the master of earth.
"Cole?" was all he could manage as he rose to stare through the bars. He hadn't seen the black ninja in so long, he was kind of at a loss for words.
Luckily Cole was more than happy to fill the silence, breaking into a grin, "Buddy, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" He peered closer, noticing the metal glint from the torch light. "Would 'a look at that, you're just like band new!"
"C'mon Cole, you're running out of time," A heavy accented man tugged anxiously at the chain looped around their waists as Zane craned his neck to see a guard approaching from the end of the string of workers, several other prisoners eyeing them nervously. Both Zane and Cole stole quick glances before the earth master slipped a reassuring hand through the gap in the bars, "Don't worry, I'm gonna bust us out of here. Just give me some time, and I'll come back for you, kay?"
Time was indeed running out, but just before the guard came over Zane thought of something. Hastily reaching down and picking Yuki up, he slipped him through the window to Cole, who somehow looked even more surprised, not that he could blame him. "Take Yuki, you'll be able to take care of him better than I can."
Yuki squeaked and protested, claws sliding down his forearm in desperation.
"Yuki, no. We don't have time." Zane hissed, causing the cat to freeze. Cole took the opportunity to slip him into his deep jumpsuit pockets just before the guard reached them.
"What is the hold-up?" The man barked, bony spear brandished.
Cole just smiled brightly, innocently keeping his hands in his pockets, "All good here, big guy. What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." He kidded, deception sitting so comfortably behind his smudged face that even Zane found himself jealous.
The nindroid watched as the string of men were spirited away to their respective cells, along with Yuki and Cole. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. At least he knew they were ok, that was what mattered. He was that much closer to getting out of here. That much closer to seeing the rest of his family.
"They will be alright," Pixal reassured him, reading his mind. "we should formulate the rest of our escape route to ensure no alterations."
Zane hummed and reluctantly pried himself away from the window, once again settling himself against the wall. This was going to be a long night.
Cole had had his fair share of sucky days, but this really took the cake. No pun intended.
He'd been forced to fight his best friend, dropped down a trapdoor, had his powers stolen by a cultist and his seedy friend, and forced to do slave labor in a stupid factory that didn't even allow you to taste the merchandise.
Yeah, this sucked.
He sighed and pulled the noodle cutting lever for the thousandth time, listening half-heartedly to Karloff muttering something about ramen versus spaghetti.
It wouldn't be so bad if he had something he could actually do to help his brothers still in the tournament instead of just being useless. Or have some clue as to Zane's whereabouts. Or at least have a vague idea of a way out of here, one that didn't involve being fed to a giant snake (he still shuttered at the thought of the master of sound).
A shrill whistle blew, startling him out of his thoughts.
"Back to your cells!" A tattooed guard barked from the catwalk above him. The newest worker, Camille if he remembered correctly, scowled and purposefully squirmed as another guard looped a chain around her waist as the others were doing. Cole just sighed and let him do the same when he finished with her.
The path back to his cell was longer than he felt it should have been. Everyone had trouble walking in sync and kept tripping over each other, earning scowls all around. Luckily, Cole was at the very end and not sandwiched in the middle, so he had some space to himself.
He glanced around, taking note of the seemingly never-ending labyrinth of cell doors. Why were there so many anyway? Most of them looked empty. Talk about a waste of space.
A quiet voice trailing through one of those locked doors made Cole stop dead in his tracks.
"I, I am fine, Pixal. I must have faulty wiring somewhere. I am sorry."
Yes! Yes yes yes! Excitement flooded him like a tidal wave, revitalizing him like a twelve-hour nap. That robotic voice could only belong to one person.
"Zane?" Cole whisper-shouted, craning his neck to see into the black cell. The sudden loss of slack in the chain made Karloff glance behind him at the ninja.
"What are you doing?" The former metal master hissed, stealing a wary look at the guard at the end of the train. "You are going to make trouble," he warned.
"Just a sec," Cole waved him off, gripping one of the steel bars to get a better view. He broke out in a joyful grin as two big electric blue eyes blinked back at him.
"Cole?" His brother whispered back, a shocked expression painting his features.
Now a brief conversation later Cole had a cat in his pocket, a found friend, and about half a million questions buzzing around his head. Once the guard had dropped him off in his cell for the night—or day, he wasn't sure what time it was—Yuki shifted restlessly in his jumpsuit, sticking his head out of the pocket and giving the black ninja his wide questioning eyes.
"Don't worry, cat. You'll see him soon. Let's take a look at you, I haven't seen you in months." He brought the cat out for a closer look and almost immediately winced. Poor thing was skinny. Screw factory policy, he was getting this cat food tomorrow. He was also bleeding in several places, his fur matted with dried crusted blood. Zane had probably done the best he could at the time, but still. It looked painful.
"Aw geez, Yukes. You and Zane are gonna give us all grey hairs by thirty." Cole grumbled, reaching down and ripping off a strip of cloth from his tattered pant leg, dabbing the sticky substance off his paws and back till he was mostly clean.
"You gave Lloyd quite the scare when he lost you," Cole continued, finding it nice to be able to pass some time without being labeled a loony. "Poor kid almost went out of his mind looking for you, even though Wu practically had to order him to stop."
Cole could swear the cat gave him a look of guilt as he licked what was left on his paw clean and shook his head. This cat was really something else.
…
The rest of the night passed quietly, albeit slowly. Cole had trouble falling asleep, and Yuki seemed intent on sitting up all night in front of the door. It was just as well, it gave Cole a chance to think up a sketch of a plan for tomorrow. It was sloppy, and downright stupid at one point, but he wasn't Zane so it would have to do.
The rattling of an unlocking door startled him awake, sending a jolt through him with a complimentary smack of the head against the wall. He groaned and rubbed his head, focused blearily on the lump of fluff twitching excitedly at the foot of the door.
"Oh shoot!" he swore and scrambled over to stuff the cat in his pocket again. This time Yuki put up a significantly bigger fight.
"Yukes—ow, quit it with your claws—we're going to see Zane! Just chill!" he hissed, sighing with a nod of satisfaction as his pocket quit struggling just as the cell door swung open.
Just like yesterday, he was bought back to the factory on a length of chain with the other prisoners (there were more and more every day), Cole situated himself next to Karloff at the fortune cookie oven, hot crisp desserts rolling by on a belt.
As he promised, when no one was looking Cole snuck a few defective cookies for the restless cat, which he wolfed down so fast Cole was sure he was going to be sick. However throughout the first hours of his shift the cat just couldn't seem to calm down, always sticking his head out to peep at all the noise thrumming through the room, coming awfully close to being spotted by passing guards.
Finally though, Cole saw his chance.
"Alright, cat," the black ninja crouched down and gave Yuki one last chin scratch before subtly pointing to a particular guard's jangling keys, "Let's see what you've got."
He could have sworn he saw the cat's eyes glimmer in anticipation.
It's a short one, but like I said I will post the last chapters of the story as soon as I can.
As always, thank you so much for reviewing, now go have a lovely day!