They were doomed. Absolutely doomed. And they had forgotten to get the bags with them. What a great start, honestly. Now they were in the middle of nowhere, with a missing piece from the bounty and so called 'Bernies' haunting them.
"Maybe Nya could draw out some water from the air?" Lloyd frowned, looking around. They heard a bird shriek somewhere far away, but otherwise it was just sand.
"In this heat? Low humidity? I don't think so." Cole responded with a sad frown. Suddenly there was this low clunking noise from nearby and they turned around to see Jay smashing his nunchucks to the stone.
"Jay. What are you doing?" Kai sighed, sounding annoyed and tired. Jay bit his lip before responding.
"Carving a message on this rock," He explained. "So people know who we are when they find our bones." His voice broke. Kai exchanged looks with Cole.
"Can we try to be a little more optimistic, please?" Lloyd asked, he didn't like the fact that they would die here.
Not today, at least.
"I'm afraid there is little cause for optimism," Zane appeared from behind the bounty with a worried expression. His face was full of bruises and dirt. Nya had given up to reach Pixal too so she walked down too. "Our situation is dire, the Bounty's engine will not start without the Thermolytic Kinetic Inventer"
"The thermo-what?" Cole frowned, still holding his book.
"It is a critical engine component."
"Well … What's wrong with it?" Kai demanded, fearing the worst.
"It is missing," Zane replied. "I believe when Beohernie ripped through the hull —"
"Bernie!"
" — he tore that component out and swallowed it." Zane finished his sentence when Cole rolled his eyes. Of course Jay had to give a nickname for a beast who tried to kill them. Good job, Jay.
"Ugh!" Jay groaned, throwing his weapon on the ground as the others watched him with a worried frown. "Well, that's just great! First, a giant beetle tries to eat us alive, then we smash into a pile of rocks …" he complained.
"Can't we use the ATV's Inventer?" Lloyd asked, still hearing how Jay was complaining now how they have no water.
"It was also damaged."
"What about the rock-cycle inventer?" Nya tried with another idea. Zane shook his head.
"It is inadequate for a vehicle the size of the Dune Bounty," He replied. Jay noticed that no one was listening to him and then he glared at them, leaving the safe ground while others were discussing.
"Useless pile of —" Jay was about to swore as he kicked a rock with his feet, but then he hurt his toe and started on his good leg. "Aw, this thinks!" He groaned, but he didn't notice how the rock he had kicked fell on the bigger rocks behind him … which was a problem because under them there was a Beohernie. Jay froze in place, hearing a soft growl as the beast appeared. Jay turned around and the beast made an ear locking scream.
The ninja turned around to hear Jay scream and when they saw the beast trying to grab their friend they wasted no time on running down there. Lloyd managed to grab Jay's hand just in time and started to pull him up, but the beast's hold was too strong.
"Jay!" Lloyd cried. If he let go of him, Jay was going to end up in the beast's stomach.
"H-Help —" Jay begged softly as he was starting to slip.
"Hang on Jay!" Lloyd said, not letting him go. He couldn't lose his best friend.
"Pull me in! Pull me in!" Jay screamed, eyes widening when he almost let go of Lloyd's hands.
"I can't–" Lloyd groaned, biting his lip. "He's too strong!"
Kai felt how sweaty his hands were and he suddenly had an idea. "Cole? Can you grab my shirt?"
"I think so!"
"T-Take this!" Kai shouted as he blasted his fireball towards the beast who screamed and let go of Jay, who groaned in pain. Lloyd and Kai pulled him safely on the ground and Jay leaned on his un-injured leg.
"D-Did you see that?" He snapped as Zane scanned his bad leg. "I-It tried to eat me!"
"We better keep off the sand," Lloyd sighed as he watched the beast disappear into the sand, making it all flat again.
"Oh, really?"
Jay flinched as Zane started to wrap the bandage around his right leg. Now the sky was dark and Kai had made a fire in the middle, warming up his feet because nights in the desert were usually cold.
"How is he?" Lloyd asked, sitting next to Jay with a worried look.
"He's fine," Zane replied as he finished wrapping. "He needs some rest, and he isn't supposed to move his leg for like 2 or 3 weeks."
"2 OR 3 WEEKS?" Jay sounded alarmed, his voice echoing in the desert. "Come on! This isn't fun!"
"Get some sleep, Jay." Nya sighed. She sounded tired. Jay exhaled a sigh and laid on the hard ground, head resting on his pillow. He faded in the darkness in a minute.
