AN: *emerges from my manhole* *pokes story to make sure it's still alive* *nods in satisfaction and disappears back into the void*
Review Replies
2240713356: Legitimately, I did not know that about the palms. Neat fact I will definitely keep in mind for my future stories. Thanks! ;)
Tomura Chan: AYYYYYYY I'M BACK!
Megasalmeamcex: Hey, it's no problem! I haven't posted in a while, sooo...
phetiamwantip: Thanks! *hugs you back* Yeah, you'll have to keep reading to find out. Let's just say things don't go QUITE how Abby might be expecting... ;)
"If the Ninja come looking for me, they'll probably go to Ronin's shop," I admitted as Morro wrapped my hand with his sash. He claimed he didn't want me drawing attention with a dripping wound, though I didn't know how many people in Stiix would actually care. I winced as he yanked the knot tight, but I kept going, "If you take me back there, I'll get the Scroll and meet you somewhere for the exchange."
"The pawn shop will do," Morro said shortly as he double-checked the wrapping. Giving me a dark look, he added, "Don't get any ideas about going back on our deal once you're with your friends. Trust me, I will hunt you down."
He dug his thumb into my injured palm, and I hissed sharply as I yanked my hand back. Returning his glare with one of my own, I retorted, "I won't. I don't make false promises."
Morro raised an eyebrow, but he only took my arm and pulled me to my feet before he tugged me toward the door. He cracked it open and peered outside, assessing our surroundings. He gave a small, irritated grunt and pulled his hood over his face before he strode outside. When we emerged from the building, I saw why. The residents of Stiix seemed to have recovered from the windstorm and were back out on the streets. Whispers circulated as people wondered about the storm and the dragon everyone had seen. I heard one man loudly declare that it had something to do with "them fruit-colored ninja," at which suspicious glances were cast in Morro's direction. If the wind master noticed the looks, he ignored them as he led me through the winding streets.
He didn't let go of my arm as we walked, and he occasionally yanked on me roughly, causing me to wince.
"Could you please be gentle?" I asked finally, and I pried pointedly at his fingers with my free hand, "I'm not going anywhere, and you're going to bruise something."
"You're fine," He shot back, rolling his eyes, "Stop whining."
"I'm not whining, I'm making a reasonable request."
"Do you always have a response for everything?"
"Only when you're making stupid tough-guy comments like that," I muttered under my breath. Morro cut me a look from the corner of his vision, but he only rolled his eyes again and relaxed his grip slightly.
The trip back to Ronin's shop seemed shorter than the flight away from it. I supposed my panic made it feel as though I ran farther than I actually did. As the building came into view, Morro pulled me down a side alley.
"You're going to go in there," he ordered, pointing to the shop, "If the Ninja are there, you get the Scroll and meet me back here. If they're not, you come straight back to me. Don't forget, I'll be watching."
"Yes, sir," I said sarcastically. He snorted, unimpressed.
"You're lucky I think that's cute," he said before he gave me a shove out into the open, "Get going. No more than ten minutes, or I'm coming in after you."
I didn't have another snarky reply for that, so I just stuck my tongue out at him before I strode swiftly toward Ronin's shop. I noticed one or two people looking at me, but oddly, I found I wasn't scared of them with the knowledge that Morro was keeping an eye on me. Of course, the second the thought passed through my head, I frowned. I couldn't believe I actually found Morro's surveillance comforting. Next thing I knew, I was going to be developing Stockholm Syndrome.
I glanced back once as I was walking, but Morro was gone. I knew he was somewhere nearby, but I didn't bother trying to locate him as I hurried to Ronin's shop. I kept my fingers crossed, praying the Ninja were there. If they weren't, I supposed I could find the hideout on my own, but I knew Morro wouldn't wait very long. I had to get back to the hideout, get the Scroll, and get back to him as quickly as possible.
I went to knock on the door, but stopped and decided to take a look inside first. I peeped through the window and instantly felt a wave of relief at the sight of the two, black-clad figures arguing with Ronin at the front desk. More specifically, it seemed Jay was arguing with Ronin while Zane attempted to mediate. The Nindroid wasn't looking at me at the moment, and I was about to knock on the door, when he happened to glance in my direction. His eyes locked on me and immediately widened. He said something I couldn't hear, grabbing Jay's shoulder and spinning him around as he pointed at me. I cracked a smile and waved as Jay's jaw dropped, and both ninja took off toward the door.
I stepped back so I wouldn't be trampled the second they came out, but it was no use. Jay was the first to explode out the door, tackling me in a bear hug as he raved, "What the heck, Abby, don't scare me like that again! I thought you were dead, or Morro had gotten you, or you had gotten mugged, and Sensei Wu would have killed me—"
"Okay, slow down," I chuckled, though I returned the hug tightly, "I'm really sorry. I tried to run straight to the hideout, but I got lost."
"How could you have gotten lost?" the Lightning Ninja demanded, pulling away to give me an incredulous look, "It's literally like five minutes away!"
"Directions aren't my strong suit, okay?" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in mock exasperation, "I can hardly navigate on my own at the best of times, and when I'm running for my life, my whole sense of direction tends to get screwed up."
Jay huffed but grumbled, "Okay, fair…"
"We are just glad you are safe and that Morro did not find you," Zane said, smiling as he squeezed my shoulder affectionately. My smile faded as I was reminded of my mission.
"Um, actually," I started awkwardly, and I dropped my eyes to the floor, "That's… He did."
"What?!" Jay shrieked, "And you escaped?!"
I hesitated before I gave a tiny shake of my head. I glanced at the boys over the top of my glasses. Jay looked confused, but Zane had an expression of dread blooming on his face.
"Abby," he whispered, his eyes wide, "What did you do?"
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves before I confessed, "I made a deal with Morro. I promised I'd get him the Scroll of Airjitzu; in exchange, he'll give us back Lloyd."
"That's…" Jay gaped at me, and for the first time ever, he seemed to be at a loss for words. Zane stared at me, a range of conflicting emotions crossing his face. Mostly, he looked disappointed, which hurt me more than Morro's knife could.
"I know it sounds insane," I blurted out, a pleading note in my voice, "But I've thought about it, okay? You guys have already learned Airjitzu, which is the only thing we need to get the next clue. Not only will we be getting Lloyd back, but you'll be able to use your powers again. It will also leave Morro without a host, which means he'll be susceptible to our ghost defenses. We can always get the Scroll back later; we're racing Morro for the same thing, so we're bound to run into him again."
"Are you nuts—?!" Jay started to rant, but he stopped. He seemed to consider my words for a moment before he turned to Zane and said, "You know, she actually makes a lot of sense."
The Ice Ninja frowned deeply, "While I agree that it sounds like a gamble worth risking, how do we know Morro will keep his end of the bargain?"
I gave a heavy sigh, "I guess we don't. I have a feeling he'll hold to his word, but it's not a guarantee. It's a risk, but like you said, I think it's a risk worth taking."
"Come on, Zane," Jay persisted when the Nindroid continued to hesitate, "This is Lloyd we're talking about! We have to try."
Zane sighed, but said, "You are right. Let us go inform the others and retrieve the Scroll. Did Morro indicate a rendezvous point?"
"He said he'll meet us back here at Ronin's shop," I replied.
"Oh, I don't think so!" a new voice piped in, and we all turned to see Ronin glaring at us from the doorway of his shop, "Look, I don't know what kind of world-ending drama you crew are involved in this time, but I don't want any more part of it. You can take your business elsewhere, because I'm through!"
With that, he slammed the door shut and locked it. A second later, he started aggressively drawing blinds over the windows. The boys and I watched him silently for a moment before Jay said, "Ooohh-kay then. Guess we'll meet outside the shop?"
I gave a strained smile, "Sure. Let's make it quick, though. Morro's not good at being patient."
Zane led the way, and Jay flanked us with his nunchucks drawn. Before we ducked into one of the side-streets, I took one last look around the area. This time, I managed to spot Morro again, leaning against a corner halfway in the shadows. Our eyes met, and we stared at each other for a second before he made a shooing motion with his hand. I frowned, but I turned away and hurried after the boys before either of them could notice the exchange.
The walk back to the hideout wasn't long. Despite the bandages, my hand still stung, and I found myself flexing it every now and then to relieve the pain. Jay must have noticed, because he abruptly asked, "What happened to your hand?"
"Oh, um…" I hesitated to tell them the truth. I knew exactly what their reaction would be, and I didn't want to make them worry. But I didn't want to lie either.
"Morro was just being a jerk," I explained vaguely, not meeting Jay's eyes. Unfortunately, the answer still caused him to flip out.
"He hurt your hand?!" the boy shrieked, and Zane cast me an alarmed look, "What did he do? Is it bad?"
"It's fine, it's just a cut," I assured him, still maintaining a tone of casualness, "It's not that deep."
"Dude, that is not okay," Jay said forcefully. I gave a frustrated sigh.
"I know, okay? We just have bigger things to worry about right now. Zane, I'll let you look at it later," I added in response to the Nindroid's questioning expression. He nodded, though he didn't look any less concerned. For the most part, Jay also let the matter drop, but I could hear him muttering furiously under his breath for the rest of the walk.
When we reached the building, Zane gave the door a quiet knock. There was a brief pause before the door opened a crack, and Cole peeked out. When he saw me, his face broke into a huge grin.
"Abby, you're back!" he exclaimed, his tone full of elation. He pushed past the boys and, without warning, wrapped me in a warm hug that pinned my arms to my sides. I laughed a little as he released me, still grinning.
"You had us worried, you know," the boy said, keeping a hand on my shoulder as he guided me inside, "Where've you been?"
"You're not gonna like it," I replied with a grim smile. I spotted Kai hurrying toward us, and I gave him a wave. He smirked and waved back, though I didn't think I imagined the look of relief in his eyes. I was about to give them the same explanation I gave Zane and Jay, but I never got the chance.
Behind us, Jay let out a startled yell, and I whipped around in time to see both him and Zane fly headlong through a window. To my horror, Morro came stalking through the door, slamming it shut behind him as he glared at us from beneath his hood. Instantly, Cole shoved me behind him as he drew his scythe, and Kai rushed to stand beside him.
"Morro," the Fire Ninja hissed icily.
"You followed us?!" I blurted out before the wind master could answer, "I told you we'd meet you back at the pawn shop!"
"Wait, what?" Cole gave me a half-confused, half-betrayed look, "What do you mean?"
"She means we made a deal, Cole," Morro cut in as the wind picked up around us, "Or did she forget to mention that part?"
"I just got back, you dope—" I started to chew him out, but Morro didn't bother to wait. He threw his arm out, and I was knocked to the ground as a gust of wind hit us full-force. Cole and Kai took the brunt of the attack. Cole was blasted several feet away, hitting the wall with a sickening crack. Somehow, Kai was sent flying, tumbling head over heels in a soaring arc. He crashed against the floor, only to fall straight through it as the floorboards gave out beneath him. My heart lurched, and I scrambled to the edge of the hole in time to see the brunet splash into the ocean.
"Cole!" I shrieked, whipping my head up. The Earth Ninja was groggily climbing to his feet, rubbing his head, but he looked up at my shout. I burst out, "Kai can't swim!"
The boy didn't seem to understand at first, but as his gaze flicked from me to the hole, his eyes widened. He took off, dashing across the room faster than I thought he could move. I dodged out of the way just as he dove through the hole and arrowed into the water. I watched anxiously, my heart pounding, until the sound of footsteps reminded me I wasn't alone.
Glancing up, I saw Morro had flipped his hood off and was crossing the room, completely ignoring me. When I followed his gaze, I saw he was headed for a small stack of crates. Sitting on one of the boxes was my satchel… and the Scroll of Airjitzu.
I scrambled to my feet as Morro picked up the Scroll, turning it over in his hands before he unfurled it. I cast a quick glance down the hole in time to see Cole re-emerge with Kai clinging to him. Both were gasping for breath, and Kai was hacking up his lungs, but for the most part, they seemed all right. I turned my attention back to Morro as he closed the Scroll and abruptly leapt into the air. A faintly green-tinted bubble of light appeared around him, and the air swirled beneath his feet as he lifted to the roof before dropping the bubble. When he hit the ground, I saw he was grinning.
"We had a deal!" I exclaimed and immediately cringed. That was so cliche. As Morro turned his attention to me, I continued, "You didn't have to attack us."
The wind master smirked and shrugged.
"Relax," he said smoothly as he strode toward me, "I'll still hold to our deal. I just prefer to do things on my terms."
I took a nervous step back as Morro stopped in front of me. I clenched my jaw and summoned up my courage, holding my ground as I spoke firmly, "Look, you got what you wanted; now it's your turn. Let go of Lloyd."
"I think you forgot the other part of our agreement," he shot back, "The answer to the tomb challenge first, princess."
"No," I retorted, ignoring the way my gut squirmed at the nickname, "Let go of Lloyd first."
"I would suggest you do as she says," another voice cut in. Morro glanced back, and I looked over his shoulder to see Zane had returned, a grim expression on his face as he poised to throw his shurikens.
Morro was not intimidated. He chuckled at the Nindroid's show of bravado before he turned back to me.
"All right," he said, giving me a sly look, "Fair enough."
I watched as Morro stepped backwards and straight out of Lloyd's body as easily as shrugging off a jacket. His ghostly form appeared behind Lloyd as the boy's skin faded from green to his usual pale tan. His hair as well turned back to its original color, and his eyes brightened right before they rolled back in his head, and he keeled forward. Instinctively, I caught him, though I immediately regretted it. I was not strong enough for this...
"Lloyd?" I probed quietly as I struggled to support the boy, "Hey, how are you doing?"
At first, he didn't respond, and I was worried he was unconscious. After a second, however, his eyes fluttered open, and my blood ran cold at the look of sheer panic on his face.
"Abby…" he said hoarsely, and his hand suddenly gripped my arm tightly, "Look out."
"Wha—?"
Another hand grabbed my arm, and I was yanked away from Lloyd. The boy collapsed to his knees, and I looked up to meet Morro's eyes. He grinned right before he swept me off my feet and took off in a burst of Airjitzu. I yelped and instinctively tried to push away, but the ghost only tightened his grip. We flew up through a hole in the ceiling, landing on the roof.
"What are you doing?!" I demanded, my heart racing as Morro leapt to the next building. Despite the circumstances, I grabbed the front of his shirt as we went soaring through the air.
"If I can't have the Green Ninja," The wind master replied as he touched down again, "Then I'll take the next best thing; the girl who knows the future."
My breath caught, and I stared at Morro with wide eyes. He flashed a cruel smile before his expression darkened. Pushing his mouth next to my ear, he hissed, "Don't make me regret it."
AN: DOUBLE UH OH
Me: Hey, Kai, I just realized we've spent this entire time in Stiix without addressing your hydrophobia.
Kai: *nervous* Yeah, so—?
Me: *pushes him into the ocean*
Me: Cole, as punishment for once again interacting with the main character, you're going with him. *pushes Cole into the ocean*
Me: *turning to Zane and Jay* Don't worry, Zane, you're fine.
Jay: And me too, right?
Me: :)
Jay: *sweating* And me too, right?
