(A/N) Hi everyone! I am so, so sorry that you all had to wait so long for this chapter. I had stupid writer's block, I had absolutely no creative juice in me for the longest time. I had to work really hard to get the rough draft of this thing done, not to mention the rest of the drafts, but I'm SO glad I finally churned it out for you all! Unfortunately, things are NOT going to be looking up in this chapter, as we're going to find out the reality of Reed's condition, as well as see Ivan's takeover. And it turns out Ivan is a big fat liar about not coming back for any more visits to the island…

I'm also going to call my parts separate books from now on. Neverender was book one, 21st Century was book two, and We Are Ninjago will be book three.

As I finish the final draft of this chapter, I am IN MY DORM ROOM FOR COLLEGE. Now that I am in college, I don't know how long it will take to finish my chapters. I will still update on weekends, but I don't know how far those weekends will be apart from each other. I can tell you this though: this book does not finish on a happy note. Quite the opposite. No, no deaths, but it's still gonna hurt and you're all gonna hate Ivan even more. The third book, however, DOES end on a happy note. And to the angry mob of reviewers after Ivan, you WILL be satisfied. :)

Read!

Chapter 8

Helpless

It had only been one day since Ivan had killed Vladomir. The stars had finally come out in the dark sky. In Black Dragon Tower, Xavier walked into the penthouse office as soon as the elevator doors opened. "Your highness?" he asked.

Ivan was standing in his office watching all the agents, now his royal guard, herding people into the streets. He turned around when he heard Xavier call him. "Yes, Xavier?" he responded pleasantly. He was in a good mood tonight. Even he had been surprised how well his plan had worked. He had not been expecting so many people in the agency to be on board with his plan for domination. Of course, he certainly was not complaining. The more people on his side, the smoother the process of turning the dictatorship into an empire would be.

"It's time to make your address to the people," his right hand informed him.

"Ah, well, we mustn't keep them waiting!" Ivan walked briskly to his desk as the second elevator opened, revealing a camera crew. They bustled over with their equipment, quickly set it all up, and focused the camera on the new ruler sitting at his desk.

Outside in Ninjago City, all the numerous screens flickered on to reveal Ivan. All across Ninjago, TVs, computers, cell phones, all electronic screens flashed to his "concerned" expression. Everyone in Ninjago listened as their new leader made himself and his intentions known.

"Greetings, people of Ninjago. My name is Ivan. You are probably wondering where your dictator Vladomir is. Not to worry. He has been taken care of. Rejoice, for his reign of cruelty is over. You no longer have to worry about his soldiers searching your houses without permission. You no longer have to fear breaking one of his terribly strict rules. You no longer need to be afraid that your children won't come home at night. Now, I am in charge.

"You may be wondering where the Ninja have gone. I am sorry to bring you devastating news. They fled the country, leaving you to suffer under Vladomir's reign for one whole year of violence and tyranny. I have seen them. They have no intentions of coming back anytime soon. They have given up. It's hypocrisy; they tell everyone to never give up, yet they themselves gave up a whole year ago.

"After seeing so much devastation here, I decided I must do something. I organized a coup, and succeeded in overthrowing this dictatorship. What now, you ask? Not to worry. I am at this very moment organizing an empire for your safety and security. You will find I will be very a benevolent ruler. Just abide by my simple rules, and you will enjoy comfortable lives. This is my promise to you: I will bring Ninjago into a new golden age as your emperor. Ninjago will become the greatest civilization in the world. I look forward to a great future together. Goodnight."

With that, the camera turned off, and Ivan stood up from his chair. The camera crew packed up their equipment and headed out the elevator doors. When they had closed behind them, Ivan turned to Xavier.

"Xavier," he called, grabbing his right hand's attention. "It has occurred to me that I may need some more help besides you."

"What kind of help?" Xavier asked, curious to know what his boss meant.

"Although I possess formidable powers over shadows, I still believe I should surround myself with a circle of people who wield other abilities."

"What did you have in mind?"

"So far, I only know of one person I'd like to put to work, though he will be a trifle reluctant, and will possibly need some... encouragement. I can take care of that."

"When?"

"Let's see," Ivan murmured. He seemed to be talking to himself. "Typically, how long is it until they can be moved? Six weeks, maybe? Yes, that'll do." Then he turned back to Xavier. "In six weeks, I will go fetch him. In the meantime, I want you to conduct a search throughout Ninjago for people who possess remarkable abilities of some sort - elemental or otherwise - and recruit them. While you are doing that, I will make myself busy with turning this dictatorship into my empire."

"How many people do you need?"

Ivan thought for a moment. "I want four people total. You're already here, so that makes one already. Find two more." With that, Ivan went to the elevator, pressed the button, and stepped in. "Remember, I'll take care of the last one." He reminded Xavier before the doors slowly slid shut.

Drew turned the TV off in disgust and plopped himself back down on the couch next to Nick, Violet, Emma, and Lex. They had just watched Ivan's speech, and the whole thing seemed to be the double agent rubbing the fact that he's won into the Ninja's faces. The newly aged fire master was seething, and he was pretty sure he wasn't the only one. The other Nightprowlers had dark looks in their eyes. Well, except for Lex. He was working on a Rubik's Cube, and looked like he was determined to get all the little colored squares into their places. His eyes were squinted in full concentration, and he seemed like he was in his own little world again.

"That power hungry son of a-" Nick began furiously.

"Language, Nick," Emma interrupted quickly. "We're all angry, but that's no reason to act rude."

"I can't believe he thinks he can turn Ninjago into an empire!" Drew burst angrily. "How can he? The last dynasty ended so long ago. I don't know how he's going to revive all that. Besides, this is the modern age. People aren't going to want to go back to the old ways."

"The answer is simple," Lex responded calmly as he continued to play with the Rubik's Cube. "Ivan is turning Ninjago into a modern empire. He will create an empirical government, but instead of returning to old customs and traditions, he will keep much of the modern developments in society, like technology, culture, and means of transportation. Perhaps he'll even support the advancement of those things. It's a way for him to give the impression that he is a good ruler. He can gain much support using this tactic."

"Couldn't have come up with a better answer myself," Violet regarded her brother's explanation. "But how do we stop this? There has to be a way."

"I don't know if there is, Vi," Drew answered sadly. "If people do start to like him, no one will see any reason for a rebellion. They may even speak out against such a development in their society. I hate to say it, but we're pretty helpless right now."

"It may seem impossible for us, Violet, but sometimes people just prefer to be told what to do," Lex added.

"After a terrible period in their lives, people will accept any change, because they think things can't get any worse," Emma put in.

"But where there's power, there's also corruption," Nick countered. "Maybe some people will still remain loyal to the idea of freedom."

"Maybe, but perhaps they'd be too afraid to rise up against a government as big as an empire," Lex considered.

"I guess we're between a rock and a hard place," Drew grumbled. "I really hate Ivan."

They sat in silence for a moment. Then Nick asked, "Hey Emma, how's your brother?"

The new ice master sighed. "Still recovering. Sensei Zane and Nya are still studying the x-rays."

"Still?" Drew asked, looking at her incredulously.

"Yes. It takes a very long time to figure out where exactly the injury is, how bad it really is, what the treatment should be, arranging rehab - it's a long process. Sensei Zane estimated that it would take at least six weeks to work everything out."

"Reed's really gonna hate that," Drew said with a grimace.

"I know." Nick agreed. "He likes the fastest and most efficient way to the solution. It's the lighting in him."

"He does have some patience," Emma pointed out defensively. "He is a hacker, and you need patience for that."

Drew gave a small chuckle. "Yes, but he saves his patience almost exclusively for hacking and technology. He finds it fun, and to him it's worth the waiting. If he needs to be in some wheelchair from now on, he's not going to be happy."

Six weeks later...

Reed lay in his bed in the medical wing, awaiting the results from Sensei Zane's x-rays of his injuries. It had been six long, boring weeks of surgery, testing, and recovery. Why the heck it took so long to figure out exactly what was wrong with him was a mystery to Reed. Nobody would tell him anything, but through the door to the hallway he could hear bits and pieces of conversation. Phrases like "vertebrae dislocated", "complete injury", "loss of motor functions", and "thoracic nerves" floated through the door. Though he had no idea what most of them meant, from what he could decipher, it didn't sound good. Having gone through the surgical part of his treatment already, he was now told to rest and "try not to move too much". How much "too much" was, Reed had no idea. So he just opted to stare at the ceiling and find patterns in the speckled tiles. So far he'd found three smiley faces, two horses, and a messy number six. Or an upside-down nine.

Suddenly he heard the door open, and Zane, Jay, Nya, and finally Emma walked in, all wearing gloomy faces. "Alright Reed, do you want the good news first, or the bad news?" Nya asked. "Unfortunately, there will be more bad news than good news."

"I could really use some good news right about now," Reed mumbled in a glum tone.

"The good news is, you will have normal arm and hand functions," Zane explained. "Now here is the bad news. You have suffered a complete injury in your thoracic T4 and T5 nerves of your spinal cord, resulting in paraplegia."

"I suffered a what in my what, resulting in what?" Reed asked cluelessly, having no idea what Sensei Zane was talking about. But from the looks on his sister's and his adoptive parents' faces, he could tell it was nothing good.

"A complete injury means you have no sensation or ability to move below the area where you were shot," Zane clarified. "The thoracic nerves are a collection of twelve nerves in your spinal cord. Paraplegia is the loss of all ability to move your legs. I'm sorry Reed, but you will be living in a wheelchair from now on."

Suddenly time seemed to slow around Reed almost to a stand-still. His senses seemed to shut down. Zane might have been talking, but Reed didn't hear. Nya might have been squeezing his hand, but he didn't feel it. All he was aware of were his thoughts racing around his head at the speed of his element. Lost all ability to move his legs? But that meant... he couldn't walk? He couldn't even stand up? Reed found himself making a mental checklist of all the things he couldn't do anymore. No more improving his fighting skills. No more doing Spinjitzu. No more going on missions with the Nightprowlers. People would probably make fun of him. His friends would feel uncomfortable around him. He'd need assistance with so many things, like reaching objects in high places. He'd need special equipment to do easy, everyday tasks, like going up staircases by himself. He felt so... helpless.

What am I going to do now? Reed thought sadly.

Later that night, when all was quiet in the palace, Reed lay awake in his bed, his mind spinning. He was paralyzed from the waist down. And he would never walk again for the rest of his life.

Paralyzed.

He never thought a simple word could cause so much pain. Figuratively, of course. He couldn't feel a thing below his waist.

Emma had come to visit him before lights out. "Everything's going to be fine," she'd assured him.

"Sis, I'm paralyzed. I'm never gonna walk again. How is that fine?" Reed had answered bitterly.

"Reed, listen to me. I know you're upset and I am too. We're going to try and make things as normal as possible for you. Sure, things will be... different, but listen. Sensei Lloyd once told me that nothing happens by accident. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the most ugly things can be turned into something beautiful. Just give yourself time. You have to find yourself again."

"I already have." he snapped back. "I'm a paraplegic. That's just... who I am now."

Reed sighed as the memory came to a close. He looked over at his new wheelchair by his bed. It was ugly, even for a wheelchair. No paint or anything, it was just a normal wheelchair. Dull and unsatisfying, like his life would be from now on.

Suddenly there was a bump outside on the balcony. Reed started. The doors were closed, so he couldn't see anything. But not for long. They burst open, revealing a tall figure in a trenchcoat and fedora. Reed was completely overtaken by fear. He felt like his whole body was paralyzed now; he couldn't even find his voice to call for help.

Ivan stepped inside and looked around. "It's a long flight from Ninjago City to here, even for my beast form," he remarked casually, almost like he was commenting about the weather.

Reed gathered what little courage he had left and found his voice again. "W-what do you want with me?" he managed to croak.

"With you? Oh, there's a ton of things I want from you, but you're going to have to come with me." He was still using that calm voice. Somehow it seemed more chilling than if he was using a more menacing tone.

"I-I thought you weren't coming back. Th-that's what you said in your note."

"Well, I've changed my mind. I need your talents."

Suddenly a surge of anger pulsed through Reed's veins. "I'm paralyzed!" he snarled. "I can't do anything anymore! You saw to that in the tea storehouse! I'm not doing anything for you!"

Ivan held his hands up in a surrendering position. "I know what I did. But you wouldn't stop squirming, so you are partly at fault."

"I AM NOT-"

"But this is not the best place to talk. We'll go to my new place, shall we?"

"Please... don't take me away..."

Ivan only shrugged. "Sorry, Reed. I need to."

"HELP!" Reed cried out, but it was too late. Ivan turned into the flying monster and snatched him out of the bed. Without the ability to move his legs, Reed could only struggle with his upper body. But the beast was too strong. No matter what Reed did, he simply could not escape its claws. Helpless to escape his situation, he found himself being dragged across the floor to the open doors to the balcony. Suddenly an unexpected thought crossed his mind: his last conversation with his sister. Looking back, he realized he'd been so cold with her. He'd been so caught up in his current state, he'd rejected her offers for help. Remorse washed over him as he realized that he might never be able to tell Emma he was sorry, or to even say goodbye.

Emma sat on the white sandy beach, dressed in a white and blue short kimono, breathing in the salty sea air at sunset. Her eyes closed, she listened to the crashing of the waves and tried to relax. But it was impossible. Her brother was just kidnapped two days ago. Hearing a cry for help coming from the medical wing, the ninja had rushed to the rescue. Unfortunately, they were too late. They had found the bed empty, sheets hanging over the side of the bed, wheelchair folded up, balcony doors wide open. It looked like he had simply been dragged right out of bed and into the night. Emma had been so overcome with grief she had locked herself in her room for a whole day, letting no one in. She had cried for hours, wondering if she'd ever see her brother again.

Emma opened her eyes and watched the waves creep up the sandy shore, then trickle backwards into the sea, only for the cycle to continue. She stood up, took off her sandals, and walked toward the water. She stopped where the waves could reach her ankles. She looked down and watched the ebbing tides wash over her feet. As the water was sucked back into the ocean, her toes and heels sank into the wet sand.

"Been looking for you."

Emma turned and saw Nick walking down the beach toward her. He stopped next to her and looked out to sea.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he commented, regarding the sun slowly sinking into the ocean. "I always loved sunset." Emma didn't say anything. She simply resumed staring blankly out to sea, so Nick kept talking.

"When I was a kid, before I came to the Ninja's monastery, I was pickpocket. Did you know that?" He paused, waiting for a response. Emma didn't answer, however, so he went on. "Sunset was my favorite time of day. At the end of the day, all the boys would return to the hideout with their day's loot. Money was good, but food was better. We would all gather around the table and eat dinner together, laughing about funny stories. But the best part of the evening was when we came out of the hideout to watch the sunset on the top of the hill in a park just outside of the city.

"Unfortunately, sometimes we'd do a headcount only to find that one of us was missing. Those days were hard on us all. Sometimes they would eventually turn up, exhausted but glad to be home. But sometimes someone would go missing and never return. We never found out what happened to them. Were they caught? Were they killed? We never knew, and that's what was scariest. But we knew that we couldn't dwell on it forever, and we always had each other to rely on."

"What are you saying?" Emma asked, at last turning her head away from the vast ocean to look at him.

Nick turned to her with a look of understanding. "I'm saying that we all feel grief over Reed right now, but we can't mope about it for too long. We need to eventually move on."

Emma turned her head away from her teammate in an attempt to hide her tears. Nick placed an arm around her shoulders. After a moment's hesitation Emma leaned into his broad chest and listened to his heartbeat. The gentle thuds somehow calmed her. "We'll find him, Emma," he assured her. "One day, we'll find him."

(A/N) Well well well. We may just be seeing a new ship here! This will be an important plot device in the third book, when we finally get around to true potentials…. Speaking of which, a huge THANK YOU goes to JayFan67 for helping me with ideas for true potentials in the third book! I've revised and expanded a few of them to fit the general plot of the story, hope that's okay!

Another cool thing is I HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE! It's called INFJ writer. Make sure you get the space between "INFJ" and "writer". Like my page!

Thanks to AveXCninja11, The Mayor of Ninjago City, SnowflakeShard, Kairocksrainbow, and ebony umbreon for your reviews last chapter!

Make sure to check out my new poll on who your favorite Nightprowler is! It's possible that the winner will get their true potential first in the next book! PLEASE vote, don't assume that other people will, because in the past I haven't had much success with polls. And as always, review!