Hello again, all! Back at it again with another chapter for you! Sorry if this is later than expected. I was visiting with family all last week and also I was getting burnt out from writing so much for this story and A Broken Creation so I had to lay off of writing for a few days to recoup. But I'm back now!

Also, a HUGE thanks for 150 reviews!

We'll be seeing some wholesome moments in this chapter, as well as some difficult discussion while still maintaining the seriousness of the current situation. Remember, if Zane and the others don't do something soon, Samuel's gonna die! And we don't want that do we?

Responses to reviews!

TitaniumNindroid: Yes, he is! But will he stay that way?

Watcher321: Oh, will he if he gets the chance! And they may, or they may not! Keep reading to find out!

NinjagoZane17: Don't worry, I wasn't planning on killing him then and there. But do I in this chapter or the next? 0_o

ProfessorYeti: *Evil laughter* Ahhh yes, the suffering. Hailey isn't spared from the despair just because she's an OC.

And yes, good observation! I figured it was the best route to go since I don't know about robotics, so it was the most accurate that I could write. And ooooh yeah, he's gonna be hurtin real bad.

Haha, I'm glad you liked that line! It was supposed to be a TikTok reference, but I don't think anyone noticed. Look up the original video, it's hilarious! And I'm glad you like Wu in this fic! I'm trying to keep everyone as in-character as possible. And I know Wu would never give up on his student, and yes is he relieved that Zane is alive still. But will he stay like that?

Atalanteo: Boy, it's a rollercoaster alright. Strap in your seatbelts, because this is where things start spiraling downwards. And I'm so glad you love it so much!

Anyways, onwards with the story!

"Zane, is everything alright?"

Zane groaned. "Let me do a system check…" he mumbled.

The outlaws throwing him off the river and him drowning afterward had done a number on him. His face was torn up, and big bruises covered his body. He couldn't get rid of his cough. He was weak, and couldn't stop his horribly aching body from shivering. Hailey, Christopher, and Tony were with him. Apenimon was running errands. He finished his system check.

"Three of my vital systems took some heavy damage…" Zane said. "And there are two foreign objects present in my body."

"Foreign objects?" Hailey asked. "Where?"

"M-my left shoulder and right leg…"

Christopher looked at Zane's shoulder, where he'd been shot. He cussed.

"Dammit, it's the bullets!" He said. "They're still inside him."

"We need to get them out," Tony said. "If we let them stay, they'll only do more damage."

"But how?" Hailey asked. "We don't have the right equipment!"

Christopher walked to the entrance of the hut. "Yes, we do. Wait here." He left and returned a short time later with a black case. Inside it were medical instruments, like forceps, a scalpel, and tweezers.

Hailey furrowed her brow. "Where the hell did y'all find that?"

"It was in the Untamed's saddlebags." Christopher explained. "They would need something like this in case they needed to do something like we're gonna."

"I'll go get some water boiling," Hailey said before turning to leave.

"W-what's happening?" Zane asked.

"We're gonna have to remove the bullets, otherwise it's only gonna cause more problems," Christopher said. He sighed.

"Usually when this happens we give a shot of morphine or something of the like to help with the pain, but we ain't got any of that for you. I'm just warning you, we have to do this. But it's gonna hurt like a motherfucker."

Zane groaned. He didn't know how much more he could take. "Is it necessary?"

"Absolutely."

Zane grimaced at the thought. But they clearly weren't letting him off easy. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine. Do what you must…"

Christopher grinned. "There's the Zane I know." He said, lightly clapping the nindroid on the back.

Hailey returned with a pot of fresh water. She set it down on the hot coals of the hearth and fed it some more fuel. When the water was boiling, they set the tools down inside to disinfect before fishing them out.

Zane craned his neck and saw Hailey walking up to him, wrapping a cloth around a stick.

"Sorry, Zane." She said. "But you're gonna need this."

"Wha-" He said but was cut off when Hailey pushed it into his mouth. He felt a hand lift up his back, where a long stick was slipped under, pinning his elbows down.

"Hold him down." Christopher said. "I don't want him jumping around and hurting himself."

Hailey took hold of both sides of his face and Tony rested his hands on Zane's ankles. Zane gulped.

Christopher pulled back Zane's shirt and looked closer at his gunshot wound. He tsked.

"It's pretty deep in there." He said. "I'm gonna have to make an incision to get to it…"

"Maaaybe you'd want to cover his eyes so he don't spook." Hailey suggested.

Tony nodded. "Good idea."

Hailey took off her bandana and placed it over Zane's eyes. He tried to protest.

"Shhh." Hailey said, patting his shoulder. "It's okay, you're gonna be fine." She finished tying it behind his head before gently setting it back down.

Christopher picked up the scalpel and made a small cut across the wound in the nindroid's shoulder. Zane whimpered and clenched his teeth, biting on the stick.

"Easy, easy." Hailey said. "It's okay."

"Forceps," Christopher said, holding out a hand. Hailey handed them to him. He used them to open up the incision he had made. Now he could see the projectile, but it was still buried deep into Zane's shoulder.

Christopher grabbed the tweezers. "Hopefully I can get it out in one piece…"

The tweezers hovered over the wound. Hailey and Tony both tightened their hold on Zane. They knew what was coming next.

Christopher tried to grab the bullet with the tweezers, but it was stuck. The ends kept slipping off. Zane writhed and cried out as they prodded at his wound.

Hailey rested her arm on his forehead and shifted her weight in an effort to keep him still. Tony had to use his lasso and tie Zane's legs together and to the cot to keep him from flailing.

"Gah!" Hailey said as she held a squirming nindroid down. "Get the damn thing out already!"

"I'm trying!" Christopher growled. Frustrated, he jammed the tweezers into the cut.

Zane howled in agony as they dug around to get the projectile, Hailey trying to calm him down, Christopher muttering "Sorry," over and over again as he worked, and Tony just trying to do his job without getting kicked in the face.

After some more poking around, Christopher was finally able to get a hold of the bullet. But it wasn't coming out easy.

"Hold him down good!" Christopher ordered both of them. "He's gonna hate me for this…"

Hailey and Tony made sure they had a firm hold on Zane. Tony glanced at Hailey before looking at him and nodding. "Do it."

Christopher double checked to make sure he had a grip on the bullet.

"Sorry, Zane." He said. "I need to…"

Then he yanked the projectile out with all his might.

Tears streamed down Zane's face and he screamed as his shoulder filled with searing pain. The stick came out of his mouth and Hailey went to put it back in-

"AH!" She yelped. "That's my finger, dammit!"

"Let him take a breather," Christopher said. "He's hurtin' bad."

Hailey took the stick out of Zane's mouth. He drew in a ragged gasp, his chest heaving.

"S-stop it!" He choked. "It hurts!"

"Shhh, I know." Hailey said, while shaking her hand. "You're doing great. We're almost done."

"But damn, do you bite like a crocodile!"

"We got the one in your shoulder out. Look." He held up the bullet.

Zane turned his head. "No…"

Christopher set the bullet down and wiped the tweezers clean. "Y'all are doing just fine, son. It's almost over." He nodded at Hailey. "Get it back in."

Hailey shoved the stick with the cloth back in Zane's mouth before he could object. She pinned his shoulders down as Christopher moved on to Zane's leg. The other bullet was also removed, with less difficulty than the previous one. They cleaned and dressed both of his wounds and lifted the bandana from his face before letting him rest.

Hailey patted Zane on his good shoulder. "It's over now." She said. "You did great."

Zane half-heartedly mumbled something under his breath that she couldn't quite catch. She sighed and rested a hand on his forehead.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Zane." She said. "But we had to."

"I know…"

"Get some food in him," Christopher said. "I don't know when he's eaten last."

Hailey left and came back with a bowl of what appeared to be some kind of stew and a piece of bread. She held it up to him. "Here."

"I-its okay…" Zane said. "I'm not hungry…"

"Eat it."

"I can't…"

"Zane Julien, y'all need to eat and if you ain't gonna I swear to the Four Legends I will force-feed this to you. Now come on."

Zane sighed. "Alright…"

He reluctantly ate, with Hailey's help. The warm meal reinvigorated him a little and after a while he had the strength to sit up with some help.

Zane coughed. "I may have ended up in the river, but I was able to get a scan of the base before I was caught." He said.

"Do you have it?" Tony asked. Zane nodded.

"Can you show us?"

"I can try…"

Zane straightened up a little more. He looked at the wall and was able to project a bird's eye view of the base.

"Oh my…" Christopher said, wide-eyed.

"Wow." Hailey finished.

"While getting the layout of the place, I discovered where Samuel is."

"Oh my god, is he okay?!" Hailey asked.

"He's in a bit of rough shape, but he is alive and mostly well." Zane said. "He's being locked up in a small building here." He pointed to a spot on the map.

Hailey dropped her head into her hands. "Thank god, he's alive."

Zane nodded. "He was concerned for all of you and was relieved when I told him we were all okay."

"Okay, so you've seen the base from the inside." Christopher said. "What are we up against?"

Zane thought about all the Untamed outlaws he had seen patrolling the walls, and all the living spaces within them. If they were all filled with convicts, this would not be easy. And knowing Picazo, the leader of them all, he would not let his horse thieving operation go out without a fight.

Zane sighed. "This will not be an easy fight. They have fortifications and also many men to back them. We're going to need all the help we can possibly get.

Tony nodded. "We can get back to the ranch and ask for volunteers." He suggested.

"But we only have four days left!" Hailey said. "There ain't no way you can get there and back in time!"

"We have to." Christopher. "We have to try."

"I estimate that if we can get every able-bodied person in this village to fight as well as some volunteers, we may stand a chance at rescuing Samuel." Zane said. "Are you sure you can make it to the ranch in time and get enough people?"

"Trust me, Zane." Hailey told him. "You don't have to worry about the number. Every rancher in the prairie has some bad blood between the Untamed. They wouldn't hesitate at a chance to finally get back at them after terrorizing them for decades. It's just a matter of getting them here."

"If Christopher and Tony could ride through the day and night, they might be able to get back in time before the two weeks are up." Zane said.

The two men stood up. "We'll be going then." Tony said. "Every second counts."

"Wait, you two are going alone?" Hailey asked.

"We have to." Christopher said. "Someone's gonna need to stay back with Zane."

"B-but what if something happens?"

"We'll be fine. I'm sorry if I come off wrong, but if we're gonna get to the ranch as quick as we can, the more people we have the slower going it is." Tony told her.

"He's right…" Zane croaked. The hologram flickered and Zane flopped back on the cot, groaning in pain and exhaustion.

Hailey looked like she wanted to argue but seemed to give up when Zane backed the other two. She sighed defeatedly.

"Alright." She said. "But please promise me you'll be careful."

"We will." Tony promised.

"We have to be." Christopher added. He nodded to Zane. "Take care of him while we're gone."

She looked over at the injured nindroid. "I will."

Soon after Tony and Christopher left for the ranch, riding on fresh horses borrowed from the tribe. Hailey stood in the door of Apenimon's hut and watched them leave the village.

"Please be okay…" Hailey said to herself as she watched them go.

There was a cough. "Did they leave?..."

"Yeah." Hailey said. She walked back in. "How y'all holdin' up?"

"I think…" He tried to sit up but grunted in pain as he put weight on his shoulder.

"Oh, oh oh." Hailey said, running to him. "Take it easy. Don't hurt yourself." She gently laid him back down. She saw his face.

"Ah, Zane." She said quietly. "Your face is all torn up. Here." She grabbed a clean cloth and dipped it in the still warm water. "Hold still."

Zane did as he was asked while Hailey wiped his face clean. He mumbled his thanks.

"Of course." Hailey said. "It's the least I can do after all the hell you've been through and back these past couple days."

"Nonsense. It's what I'm meant to do."

"I know, but could y'all at least do it without almost getting killed? I was convinced you were a goner."

"Hailey, I cannot help that things happen the way they do. It's beyond my control."

"I know. I know. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"It's just that losing Uncle Sam was my fault. I didn't want to lose you too."

Zane nodded. "I see."

"I've noticed you've become very protective of me as of late. May I ask why?"

Hailey sighed as she dropped the cloth in the pot of now lukewarm water.

"I don't know." She said. "I mean, since Uncle Sam is gone, I don't want anyone else falling in Picazo's hands because of me. Also, I've noticed I've been looking up to you more and more now. The last thing I want is for you to go down from him too. I mean look at you right now. If I had never gone after them in the first place, none of this would be happening!"

"I know I am not in good shape. But I would do it again. No matter how bad something is, remember: everything happens for a reason."

Hailey scoffed. "Pfft. Yeah, sure. No wise words are gonna change what's happening."

"No, they won't. But they can help with the future."

Hailey was quiet. Silence stretched between them.

"I'm sorry."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for?"

"Everything. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for not listening to you and Uncle Sam. I'm sorry for dragging you into this whole mess. I'm sorry you're like this right now. It's all my fault."

"I understand your remorse. But you have nothing to be sorry about, even though I accept your apology. There's no way you could have foreseen all these events. I'm certain that if you were able to see the repercussions of your actions you would not have gone after the Untamed with your better judgement."

Hailey sighed. "I guess so."

"I see you are very exhausted." Zane said. "It's also late. I advise that you get some sleep. It will help."

Hailey got up and dragged her bedroll by the foot of Zane's cot.

"What are you doing?" The nindroid asked.

"Tony and Christopher told me to take care of you." Hailey said. "I can't lose you like I thought I did earlier today. I ain't letting you out of my sight." She wriggled under the flap.

Zane chuckled. "Alright then." He said. "Thank you."

"Of course. I'd do anything any day."

Silence again.

"Zane?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll get Uncle Sam back?"

Zane sighed. "Hailey, I have told you this before. I will ensure we rescue Samuel if it is the last thing I ever do."

"I know, I know, I just...want to be sure."

"The last thing I would ever do is lie to you."

"I know."

After that, Hailey went silent. Zane figured she was sleeping and figured he would do the same.

…

The next morning, Zane was able to sit up with Hailey and Apenimon's help and was able to walk on his own. While waiting for Christopher and Tony to come back, they decided they would look at the base and try to formulate a plan of attack.

Zane projected a hologram of the base with his eyes in front of Hailey and Apenimon. "We know Samuel is being held here." He said. "And this is the main entrance, but it's heavily guarded. We cannot simply try to run in, otherwise they'll shoot us point blank."

"What about there?" Hailey asked, pointing to the cliff that overlooked the village. "That doesn't seem too heavy."

"Maybe not." Apenimon said. "There's not many paths going in. They could be able to bottle us in and hold us off long enough before we can get to your uncle."

"Right…"

"Remember, what we do will entirely depend on how many we can get to fight. I estimate that there are at least a few hundred outlaws living in this fortification. If we can get a decent amount of rancher volunteers and every able bodied person in this village, we stand a fair chance at taking them down." Zane said.

"I know my people are up to the challenge." Apenimon said. "Chief Aditsan said he's willing to meet with the River chief and discuss sending more people if needed."

"Okay, so say we do get enough people." Hailey said. "What then?"

Zane looked at the map. He scratched his chin.

"Apenimon, you were right about potentially being bottled up, but Hailey may be onto something here."

"I am?"

"Yes." Zane said. He pointed at the cliff. "Say we get enough people so we can afford to split up. We can send two smaller groups on either side to create a distraction. If we play our cards right, we may be able to bottle them up instead. When the Untamed have their backs turned to the main entrance, a larger group can storm it. Remember, our first priority is to get Samuel out safely. Once we do that, we can focus on taking down the Untamed for good."

"Sounds good to me. You're the one with the battle experience Zane, not me." Hailey said.

"My people have not fought a battle in a very long time." Apenimon said. "I believe you will have to be the one to lead us."

Zane nodded. "If your people ask of me, I will do so."

Needless to say, he was a little daunted by the role he would assume. He had fought enemies before, but he was seeing all of this for the first time. Not to mention so many people were now relying on him to win this fight.

Regardless, he would do it. It was his duty. He would protect and fight for those who could not protect themselves, even if it meant facing a wall of the Untamed's bullets.

Apenimon stood up. "Today I go out to hunt with some of the others. My group is leaving soon, so I must go. I will see you later."

Hailey and Zane bade Apenimon goodbye as he left. Then Hailey stood up herself.

"Feeling good enough to walk?" She asked.

Zane grunted as he moved his leg. Hailey helped him onto his feet.

"Easy." She said as she supported him. "Don't push yourself."

"I'm okay." He said. "Thank you."

"Here," Hailey said, gesturing to Zane to follow. "There's someone y'all haven't seen in awhile."

She helped Zane walk to the corral behind Apenimon's hut. He saw a familiar white face and grinned.

"Gale!"

The horse's head shot up. He let out a whinny as he trotted up to the fence. Zane was smiling like a foot as he leaned over to stroke Gale's nose, happy to be reunited at last.

"Oh, thank goodness you're safe." He said. "I was so worried what had become of you after I fell."

"He took a couple hits, but he bounced back like a champ." Hailey pointed to his rear, where one of his legs was wrapped in a bandage. "That one should be ready to come off tomorrow."

Zane growled in anger. Not only had the Untamed invaded the Chacam's home and taken Samuel, now they hurt his horse too.

"Don't worry." He told Gale. "We'll make them pay."

Hailey grinned and jerked her head. "Care to take a little walk? Ought to be good for that leg of yours."

Zane nodded and together he and Hailey milled about the village. Zane was fascinated as he watched the Chacam people go about their daily lives, cooking and preparing bread and other foods, tanning animals hides and sewing clothing, making pottery and tending to the young children and livestock, to name a few. It was drastically different than back at home in Ninjago, but it amazed him nonetheless. He was again reminded of how diverse Mt. Horn really was more than he had previously thought.

When Zane and the others had first come to the village, the people seemed to avoid and even appeared afraid of them. But now as the two cattlefolk strolled about, the other tribe members greeted them, especially so Zane, more warmly. They smiled, they waved, a few even offered them gifts, but Zane being Zane, he politely declined. Since the village knew of his identity, he didn't have to wear his hologram. He piqued the interest of many, but the children of the tribe were infatuated by him. Soon he had amassed quite a large following of the young ones, asking him about his skin and eyes. Zane would roll up his sleeve and watch as their eyes grew wide in amazement as they ran their fingers over his titanium form. He wasn't one for attention, but he couldn't help but smile as wonder filled their faces. He even flipped on his funny switch and broke out dancing while singing "Hello My Baby!", which made the little ones all fall over in laughter. He doubted they had ever seen something like this and doubted they ever would again. He was happy he was able to give them something to remember for the rest of their lives.

He and Hailey were walking along one of the paths that led past a couple of sheep pastures as evening fell when suddenly he felt a tug at his sleeve.

"Huh?" Zane said. He looked down and saw a Chacam boy, no younger than eight, staring shyly up at him.

"Oh, why hello." Zane said with a smile. "Can I help you?"

The boy looked up with wide eyes. "Ice?"

"Yes, I can make ice." He said. He held up his hand.

The little boy gasped as he watched tiny shards of ice flurry around Zane's hand. Slowly, he lifted a hand as if to touch it, but suddenly drew it back as if afraid.

"It's okay, it won't hurt you." Zane said. He stuck his own hand in. "See? Here, don't be afraid."

Zane held out his hand. Hesitantly, the boy did the same. His fingers brushed against the swirling ice and his timid expression turned into one of joy. He smiled. "Wow…"

Zane grinned. "Watch this."

He cupped his hands together and formed a small snowball. He blew on it gently, the snow landing on the little boy's face. He giggled, which made Zane smile wider.

A woman's voice called out. He turned to the source of the sound and saw a person, presumably his mother, beckoning him. He flashed Zane a smile of thanks before darting off.

Zane stood up. Hailey grinned.

"That was so sweet of you." She said. "Did you see the look on his face? He loved it!"

"I'm glad I was able to make him happy. I hope that was memorable to him."

"Yep, that's gonna be memorable alright." Hailey said. "I can bet the entire ranch on them never seeing snow in their lives. They most likely never will. To you or me your ice powers are an everyday thing, but to him it was something he'll never forget."

Suddenly his stomach rumbled. He hadn't realized how much of an appetite he had worked up since his body was repairing itself. He blushed in embarrassment as Hailey guffawed.

"Heavens to Betsy!" She laughed. "Hungry much?"

Zane nodded sheepishly. "Yes…"

"Oh okay, come on." Hailey said. She gestured to him. "Let's go get some grub. I'm a little famished myself."

They walked back through the village and returned to Apenimon's hut. He and the other's hunt was successful, as he was gutting a deer that was hanging upside down on a pole by its back legs.

"Hey, Apenimon!" Hailey said as they approached. "Need some help?"

Hailey helped Apenimon clean his kill while she insisted Zane go back inside for some rest. A little while after the three sat around the hearth of the mud house, eating a simple evening meal of cooked venison and frybread.

"Where are they now, do you think?" Apenimon asked Zane, referring to Tony and Christopher.

Zane thought. "Based on my calculations, if they were riding nonstop, they must have been some distance away from the foothills by now."

…

The next day found Hailey and Zane at the edge of the Chacam village. They were there, shooting at old rusty cans atop their horses. They figured it would be a good idea to sharpen up on their aim while waiting for the return of the others since they couldn't do much else. Zane was firing a rifle while Hailey used her pistol.

Zane watched as she aimed and fired, only to miss. She growled in frustration as she reloaded.

"That's strange…" Zane said to himself. "She is a good shot, it's very unusual to miss this many times…"

Hailey took aim again at the can that lay ahead and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

She had missed again.

She seethed for a moment. "DAMMIT!" She yelled as she threw her gun to the ground in frustration.

Zane jumped a bit at Hailey's sudden outburst. "Hailey? What's the trouble?"

She buried her face into her hands. "I can't hit the goddamn target to save my life…"

"May I ask why?"

She sighed. "I don't know…"

Zane rode closer to her. He did a scan.

"You're exhibiting high levels of stress and anxiety, as well as anger. Why so?"

"I don't know." Hailey said again.

A stern look fell over Zane's face.

"Hailey, you're not fooling anyone with that trick again. You can tell me anything. Something's obviously troubling you again."

"I SAID I DON'T KNOW!"

Her sudden outburst left even Zane taken aback, speechless. She had never snapped on him like that.

Hailey was seething, but saw the shocked look on Zane's face and sighed. Her face softened and she relaxed.

"I-I'm sorry, Zane…" She said. "I didn't mean to...it's just…" She searched for the right words but came up with none. She growled and covered her face with her hat. "Dammit dammit dammit!"

Zane could tell her apology was genuine. He leaned over in Gale's saddle and patted her back.

"It's alright, Hailey." He said. "I understand you're upset still. Perhaps talking will help?"

Hailey was still for a moment. Then she slowly shook her head.

"Excellent. So let's try this again. What's bothering you?"

"Everything."

"What do you mean, 'everything'?"

"Everything, Zane, everything! All this! This entire mess we're in!" She cried. "My uncle's been kidnapped by a crime ring, being held for ransom, and now we're almost out of time to get him back! If we're really gonna fight the Untamed, people are going to die. So now not only am I dragging Uncle Sam to his death, I'm leading others to it too. People that would be alive that have no business being out here going against El Picazo. Me, you, Tony, Christopher, the natives-you get the idea! And not only that, but this is gonna tear my family apart from the inside out. I-It might even be the end of Flint River...and it's all because of me…"

Her voice trailed off as she burst into tears, finally cracking under the pressure of it all. Zane grew more concerned. He said nothing, only drawing her into a comforting hug as she cried. She clung to his shirt as his arms steadied her body that was racked with sobbing.

"W-we're all gonna die…" She sniffed. "And it's all because of me…"

"Hailey, I have told you time and time again. We will get Samuel back if it's the last thing I ever do."

"I-It probably w-will be. T-theres no way Tony and Christopher will m-make it back in time…"

"What makes you say that?"

"W-what doesn't make you say that? Don't you see all the deep shit we're in?"

"Yes, I do see that. But we don't know for certain that all hope is lost. We still have time left, even if it's not much."

"And we don't know for certain that we'll be able to get Uncle Sam back, or even get out of here alive…"

Zane opened his mouth to say again that he would get Samuel back if it was the last thing he did, but shut it again. He had told Hailey that so many times, yet with each passing day she started believing it less and less.

Not wanting to leave her thinking that way, he decided to try something else.

'Let's see…" He thought to himself. "If Sensei were here, what would he do in this situation?'

"This is all gonna go to shit...we ain't gonna make it…" Hailey whimpered, tears still streaming down her face.

Zane sighed and gently pried Hailey off of him. He wiped her tears before tilting her face towards him.

"Hailey, there's something I've noticed about you." He said.

"W-what's that?"

"Well, let me ask you this." Zane said, meeting her eyes. "I don't ever say something that isn't true, correct?"

"Right…"

"What do I tell you every time when you feel that we can't do it?"

"That you'll rescue Samuel if it's the last thing you do."

"Exactly. So tell me," Zane asked. "Why are you certain that we won't? You do believe in me, don't you?"

Hailey hesitated. She bit her lip as she seemed to think.

"Well, yeah, of course." She said.

"Okay, well if that is the case, then why are you convinced we won't be able to succeed?"

Zane watched as Hailey struggled for an answer.

"I don't know…" She said.

"Do you?" Zane asked. "Hailey, this is no time to hide things. You must be honest not only with those around you, but as well as yourself, regardless if you like the answer or not."

Hailey sighed. "Yeah. I-I mean, I know you say that and all, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"But what?"

"I don't know…" Again she struggled for words. "I mean, how do you know for certain we can get through this? All the odds are stacked against us. Picazo has the upperhand."

Zane adjusted his grip on Gale's reins. "The truth is Hailey, I don't know." He said. "I don't know for certain about anything. Anything that can go awry possibly will. But we will get through this, no matter what."

"But...how?"

"It's called having faith." Zane told her. "And that brings me back to my point. If there's one thing I've noticed it's that you seem to lack it, even so in me."

Hailey opened her mouth to object, but shut it as she realized that deep down he was right.

"I-I'm sorry Zane." She said. "But it's hard. Too hard almost…"

"I understand. It's very hard to in situations like these. I myself have faced times where I question it all. But no matter what, I have always had faith, and it has never failed to serve me well. Sometimes it is all we have left."

"All we have left here is the fact we may not even be standing here tomorrow." Hailey told him, clearly not understanding his message.

Zane sighed. She wasn't getting it. He had faith they would be able to fight Picazo and get out alive, and that Christopher and Tony would come back in time, and that Samuel would be rescued. They were all she had. Why didn't she have any faith in any of them?

"Well, you are entitled to your own opinion." Zane told her. "But I have faith that we will get through this. Maybe you should do the same."

Suddenly a clamor arose from the center of the village and Zane and Gale rode over to investigate, leaving Hailey to think over what Zane had said.

As Zane passed by the mud dwellings, he saw a group of natives on horses entering the village. The group was led by a man of high standing, clearly another chief. But he didn't recognize them as Chief Aditsan. And he didn't recognize the warriors surrounding him either.

He watched with interest as they approached the hogan. Chief Aditsan was standing outside, as if he was anticipating them. The new chief got off his horse and greeted Aditsan briefly before the both of them went inside.

Zane cocked his head. "Another chief?" He asked himself. "What does that mean?"

Suddenly he was startled from his thinking as he heard hoofbeats behind him. He turned around expecting to see Hailey, but it was none other than Apenimon.

"Ah, there you are, Zane." He said. "I was looking for you. Chief Aditsan requests your presence immediately."

"Of course."

Zane and Apenimon rode over to the hogan, getting off their horses and stepping inside. They were once again greeted by the sight of the elders, Chief Aditsan, and the newcomer. The Chacam leader turned as they entered.

"Greetings again, Zane." He said.

"Greetings, Chief." Zane replied. "Apenomin said you requested me. How can I be of aid?"

"I am glad you asked. Zane, this is Chief Geronimo, leader of the River tribe. He and I are to discuss the upcoming battle with the Untamed and make arrangements for them to send more warriors to support us. Apenimon informed me that you have a map of their fortress as well as a tactful mind. We ask for these as well as your insight as we figure out how to go about this."

"A pleasure to meet you, Chief Geronimo." Zane said, shaking the man's hand. "And yes, I would be more than glad to help you both in any way I can."

"Excellent." Aditsan led Geronimo and Zane to the center of the hogan, and the four sat around the hearth along with the elders. Zane projected a hologram of the base in the air above.

"Before being thrown over into Chacam Run, I managed to get a complete overview of the base. I found where Samuel is being kept, which is here." He pointed to the map. "As of right now, he is alive and mostly well, but we will have to move fast if we want it to stay that way."

"I am able to supply more warriors if need be." Chief Geronimo said. "The Chacam and River tribes have always been strong allies. This case will be no different."

Zane nodded. "If my calculations are correct, we are going to need every person we can get. If Tony and Christopher arrive with reinforcements in time, and we get every able person in this village and the River tribe to fight, we stand a fair chance at defeating El Picazo and his men."

"Their base seems extremely fortified." Chief Aditsan. "This will not be easy…"

"It won't." Zane said. "But nothing worth it comes easy. I showed this to both Hailey and Apenimon, and they both made very useful observations. As you see here," Zane pointed along the wall that surrounded the base. "Their defenses are heavy. The wall is about fifteen feet high and has catwalks on the inside that allow the Untamed to walk the length of it. These men have a good vantage point and all are armed, of course. But if you look here, notice how the cliff essentially forms the other wall. There are homes built into it and I can see evidence of some type of trail leading in on either side. If we use the main entrance, we'll no doubt be caught, and Samuel will certainly be killed. Hailey suggested we use these to get in, but Apenimon said it would not be a good idea since they have the potential to bottleneck us. But I have a rough idea based on those two suggestions. That being, we split off into three groups, one larger, two smaller. The two smaller groups will infiltrate the base from the cliff to present a diversion. When the Untamed's attention is turned away from the main entrance, we can breach the doors and drive them from the rear into the two other groups and bottleneck them. If the Untamed find out that we are here to rescue Samuel, they will kill him the first chance they get. So my idea for that is this: The two smaller groups that go first will be some of the River and Chacam warriors to make the Untamed falsely assume its a native attack. Once the outlaws have their backs turned, the ranchers and other warriors will breach the main entrance. By the time the Untamed realize it's the ranchers coming to rescue Samuel, the hostage will have already been freed. Once he's escaped, we can focus our attention back to defeating the Untamed and liberating your former dwelling."

The two chiefs nodded in approval.

"Apenimon was not wrong about you, Zane." Chief Aditsan said. "You have continued to surprise me."

"When do you think is the optimal time for attack?" Chief Geronimo asked. "I can have my warriors here by the end of today if need be."

"That I am not sure, but we do not have much time." Zane said. "The Untamed gave us two weeks from dusk to pay the ransom, and now that time is almost up. And we will not be able to carry out the plan successfully if Tony and Christopher still hadn't arrived with the volunteers. But my hope is that we do so the next day after their arrival, so I can share the plan and we can all adequately prepare for the fight."

"Very well." Chief Aditsan said. "Then it is settled. Zane, on behalf of the Chacam and River tribes, we would like to give you our eternal thanks. By ridding the land of these plunders that poison it, you are doing a wondrous thing for our people."

Zane nodded. "It is my purpose. I would do it a thousand times over."

Zane, Apenimon, and Chief Aditsan saw Chief Geronimo and his warriors off. The three bade each other goodbye and parted ways. Hailey was still nowhere to be seen. He would give her some space to decompress.

The thought and worries of Tony and Christopher's return and the possible outcomes of the nearing fight weighed heavy on the nindroid's shoulders. He decided to clear his head by going for a slow ride so he could better strategize their next move. He walked over to Gale and climbed onto his saddle, and together the two loped to the outskirts of the village.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting an orange glow and long shadows across the Thundering Badlands. A cool evening breeze blew, running through Gale's mane as the two slowed to a brisk walk.

Zane looked out at the desert around them. Save for the moaning of the wind and the clopping of Gale's hooves, it was completely silent.

They continued on, stopping at the top of a hill. Turning back around, Zane could see the village down below, and the vast expanse of the desert beyond the plateau that stretched to the horizon every which way. He took a moment to take in the view before going on their way. He let Gale slip into an ambling pace as he let his mind wander.

He knew the stakes were going to be high for their fight against the Untamed. Samuel's life was on the line. And not that, but Zane's and the others too. They only had one shot to free him. If they failed, they all would die.

There was no doubt that people were going to get hurt, even killed. As much as he didn't want it to be true, no one could avoid it. These were thieves driven by murder and money, and would fight to the death to resist being brought to justice.

Which made Zane think- what would happen if he were to die here? There was a possibility that it could happen. It's not like he was scared of dying in itself. He would gladly take a bullet for one of the others any day. But what would happen to the rest? He was supposed to lead them into this. If he were to go down before the battle was over, would someone else be able to pick up the torch and continue to rally them? Or would their plan fall apart and it be the end of them?

And that wasn't the only thing. What about his brothers? If Zane were to be killed in the fight, what would happen to them? Would they be able to take on Morro without him? Would they ever find his body? Would they ever be able to find closure? What about Sensei? Borg? PIXAL? The last thing he wanted to see was his loved ones in pain, especially over him.

Another gust of wind blew, making dust dance across the sand. At the thought of the other ninja, he turned to face the north, the direction of Ninjago. He sighed.

"I will try to make it back to you, brothers." Zane said to the lone wind. "But I cannot make any promises. These people need me as much as Ninjago needs you."

The wind began to kick up, and Zane decided it was time to head back. The sun sunk slowly behind the horizon as they left, casting their shadow on the sand.

They had made it down the bottom of the hill, when suddenly Zane became aware of a ruckus in the village. Looking over, he saw a huge dust cloud rising from it, and through the flying dirt he could see a large group of men on horseback entering.

Zane gasped. Who were these people? Was it the Untamed?

Zane unholstered his gun and spurred Gale into a gallop for the village, ready for a fight.

He twisted and turned through the mud dwellings, hearing the voices of the tribe as he got closer. When he finally got there, he was riding so fast he almost barreled into a familiar face that suddenly stepped out in front of them.

"WHOA! Zane, watch out!"

Zane gasped and suddenly pulled back on Gale's reins. In front of him was Christopher, covered in dirt and sweat, riding on the back of a black horse.

"Christopher!" Zane said. He put his gun away. "What are you doing here? Weren't you getting volunteers from the ranches?"

Christopher nodded. "See for yourself." He jerked a thumb past one of the mud houses.

Zane followed Christopher through the village. As they neared the opposite side from which Zane came he saw one of the most relieving sights he had ever seen.

Filtering through the canyon that led into the village, armed cattlefolk on horseback began trickling into the village, shouts of joy and welcome heard from the Chacams. Counting them in the fading sunlight, Zane estimated there were about a hundred.

He turned to Christopher, beaming. "You did it."

"That we did." Tony said, also filthy from a nonstop two days ride.

There was a whoop of joy to Zane's right, and a streak of black and white as Ranger and Hailey bounded into the village.

"YEAH HA!" She cried, jamming a fist in the air. "I'll be damned!" She jumped from the saddle and flung herself into Christopher and Tony's arms. "Y'all made it!"

"Yes, we told you we would." Tony said. He let go of her.

"But we ain't out of this yet." Christopher reminded her.

Hailey's face became crestfallen. "Right…"

Zane nodded. Christopher was right. The volunteers may have gotten here in time, but they weren't out of anything yet. They still had to fight the Untamed. This was only the beginning.

Christopher turned to Zane. "Alright, Zane. You have your volunteers. What's next?"

Yeah, Zane, what's next?!

I hope y'all enjoyed! Be sure to follow, favorite, and drop a review on your way out! Stay healthy and safe! RealtreeGal, out!