CHAPTER THREE
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
YOUR HESITATION WILL BREAK OUR NATION
IF HIRO WAS SURE OF ANYTHING, it was that this team wasn't going to last another day. With witty catchphrases said too loudly and the sound of them using their powers to kill the island's coconuts echoing through the trees, Hiro would be shocked if none of the Stone Warrior patrols came to investigate the noise. He wasn't surprised they could be so careless — it was in their nature, after all. But he was surprised that Lloyd didn't join then, considering he was around their age and had the right to be just as immature as the rest of his friends. Instead, he'd joined Hiro and Dr. Julien as the scientist fixed the Falcon (Zane's friend, Lloyd had explained, except he'd actually gone into details to help Hiro better understand) beside the Destiny's Bounty.
"They're so loud," Hiro complained as a zap of lightning burst through the air, destroying a coconut above the deep blue ocean waves. "Don't they have anything better to do?"
Lloyd chuckled. "Hey, at least they're having fun. They need more of that," he said. "They're too uptight must of the time."
"What you call uptight," Dr. Julien interrupted, "others may call responsible. They are your trainers, Lloyd. Perhaps they seem boring because they wish to see you succeed."
Lloyd wrinkled his nose. "Them? Responsible? We are talking about the same Zane, Cole, Kai, and Jay, right?"
Hiro smirked. His grin broadened when he heard Wu begin to yell at the four boys to be more responsible and berate them for their overconfidence. Lloyd elbowed him when he saw the look, but Hiro spotted a similar smile on Lloyd's face as Wu began to come back down the mountain of sand that covered the Destiny's Bounty. Hiro motioned for Dr. Julien to continue showing them how to fix the Falcon, curious in how the design of such a robotic bird even worked.
"Every cog, every gear is important," Dr. Julien explained, placing a gear into the bird. A noise started up, and Hiro saw the Falcon's eyes flashing between a dull brown and a light blue. "If one piece is missing, or out of place, the invention won't work," he finished as the bird woke up, flapping its wings and crying out until it was on its feet. Dr. Julien closed the panel on the Falcon's chest. "Come now, little one. Time to fly," Dr. Julien encouraged.
Hiro held his breath as the bird took flight. He smiled as it flew toward the Ninja, no doubt to reunite with Zane.
"It is like you Ninja," Wu said as he approached from behind. Hiro whirled around. "You each serve very important roles, and are each key parts to a magnificent fighting force." He turned his gaze onto Hiro. "And although you may not be a ninja, Avashiro, or consider yourself part of this team, you are just as important as anyone else. With you, we may stand a chance against Garmadon and your father," he added. Hiro nodded.
"If we're all gears, what if I'm the gear that doesn't work?" Lloyd asked quietly. "What if I don't do my part? What if— . . . I can't defeat my father?"
"Lloyd," Hiro protested, "questions will get you nowhere. Destiny has a plan, and only when it comes to pass will we get our questions answered." He put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "But you have a good team. And you're strong. I think you'll do good."
"The Final Battle is almost upon us. When that time comes, we will know the answer to what ifs, whether we like it or not," Wu added.
"I know you don't want to face your father, but there's no other choice," Nya piped up, walking up behind them.
"But perhaps there is," Misako argued. She was holding a red scroll in her hands. She smiled at them as she approached. "I used to think it was inevitable, but the I found this." She set the scroll on the table. As the Ninja came back from the beach, she unfurled the parchment. Hiro studied the image it presented — a large black shape with evil eyes and a mouth of fire hovering over a clan of people. The Celestial Clock from his dream was placed on top of the shadow's head, where the Helmet of Darkness would be. "The scrolls say that when the Helmet of Darkness is bequeathed to its rightful ruler, the Celestial Clock will count down to the activation of an unspeakable weapon. The first sign that the Final Battle between good and evil has begun."
"Did you just say 'unspeakable weapon?'" Kai asked. Hiro tilted his head, trying to imagine a weapon that would be considered unspeakable. How could something so terrifying exist? Than again, if his father had any say in the matter, Hiro didn't want to know what the weapon would be. A definition would have been nice, though.
"Uh, I'm still stuck on what bequeathed means," Jay spoke up.
"Go on, Misako. Don't let us interrupt you. How do we stop the Final Battle?" Cole cut in as the Ninja reached the table. Hiro moved to the side so they would have more room to stand without any of them having to be near him, and vice versa. Their alliance was still shaky at best, as Hiro didn't miss the suspicious looks Kai threw his way, just as he was sure the glares he shot in Kai's direction didn't go unseen by the so-called Master of Fire.
"There is nothing here that explains what would happen if the Helmet of Darkness is returned," Misako revealed. Hiro frowned. He was sure he remembered his father talking about the Helmet of Darkness and the Celestial Clock when he was a child, but the words escaped him now that he was older. He had an uneasy feeling that this plan to return the Helmet was doomed to fail. Even if they could return it, who said the clock would even stop? Just because the scrolls didn't say it wouldn't didn't mean that it would.
"Interesting," Wu mused. "Remove the helmet, the clock starts. Put it back, the clock stops."
"And the Final Battle never starts!" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Bequeathed, anyone? Is anybody gonna help me out with that?" Jay pleaded. Hiro opened his mouth to answer his question, but Kai quickly began pointing out the flaws in the plan. Hiro's voice died out, but he wasn't as annoyed as he could have been; the situation was too urgent to focus on the meaning of a word.
"Uh, that sounds great and all, and I know we have our new powers, but you expect us to get past his whole army of Stone Warriors and pluck the helmet off his head?" Kai questioned.
"My brother's right," Nya agreed. "They're good, but they're not that good."
"I know," Misako acknowledged, making Hiro smirk. "And that is why I am going to do it. I'll just need a little help." She pulled the Ninja to the side, then paused to look back at Hiro. "Avashiro, are you coming?" she requested. Hiro frowned, shaking his head.
"What? Why not?" Cole asked.
"Yeah, dude, we could use your powers," Jay added.
Hiro looked between the team, not knowing what to say. It was hard enough telling Wu and Lloyd about the prison of darkness, never mind why he never wanted to be near his dad again. He was already dealing with the fact that he would have to see his dad again during the Final Battle (unless the team could actually get the Helmet back onto the Celestial Clock, that is); he didn't want to have to do it any earlier than he had to. But to get out of this mission, he'd have to tell the truth, and he wasn't ready to be vulnerable with the boys yet. Perhaps with Nya and Misako, he would feel safer, but he doubted he could get them alone to tell them the truth.
"No," Wu stepped in. Hiro let out a breath of relief. "I will need Avashiro to lead Lloyd and I to the Celestial Clock. We will meet you all there."
"What—?" Hiro began, wondering why Wu assumed he knew where the Clock was.
"Sensei, you can't be alone with him," Kai protested. "I don't understand how you can trust The Overlord's son—"
"I am not my father," Hiro spat, enjoying the way Kai's posture stiffened the moment Hiro began speaking over him, "so fuck. You."
"Hiro," Lloyd cut interrupted before Kai could fire back at him.
"Boys," Misako said at the same time. She nodded to Hiro. "That's fine. Kai, join us. Now," she added, her tone becoming more authoritative when Kai didn't move. After shooting Hiro a withering glare, Kai rejoined the group, arms crossed. Nya offered Hiro a sympathetic smile before standing at her brother's side. Hiro rolled his eyes as he went to stand beside Wu, who stopped Lloyd from joining the boys, Misako, and Nya.
"This mission isn't for you," Wu told his nephew.
"But I'm all powered up, I can help," Lloyd complained, scowling.
"We musn't let you and your father come face to face yet. We're trying to prevent the Final Battle, not welcome it," Wu scolded.
"Yes, Sensei," Lloyd relented, expression becoming sad as he looked down. He sighed. "But what do we do while they're gone?"
Wu thought for a moment, stroking his beard. "Why don't you and Avashiro train?" he suggested. "I'm sure you could both use the practice." Hiro and Lloyd shared a look.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," Lloyd said. "I'm not looking to get thrown around today."
Hiro smiled. "I'll go easy on you," he teased.
Lloyd laughed. The group broke away and returned to the table. "We're going to storm the camp," Cole said as Lloyd's laugh died down. "Misako's presence will surprise Garmadon long enough for us to be able to slip past his defenses and steal the Helmet!" Hiro frowned as he thought the plan over, already thinking of several ways it could go wrong.
"That's a terrible plan," he argued. "What if my father sees you? He'll kill you!"
"The Overlord is too weak to hurt us physically," Misako assured him. "But if you have a better plan, we'd love to hear it." She smiled at him encouragingly.
Hiro shrugged, looking away. "I don't know, you could disguise yourself. Dress like Stone Warriors or something. And Misako could act like a prisoner and they'd probably take you directly to Garmadon. If he truly loves you, he'll let his guard down." He looked at Misako again. "It's just a theory. But I don't think storming the camp is a good idea when he has an army, my father, and is wearing the Helmet of Darkness," he explained.
After a moment, Misako nodded. "That's a better plan," she agreed. "All in favor?"
"I'm in," Jay said, surprising Hiro. "Let's do this the ninja way."
"It is safer," Zane agreed.
"Why not?" Cole said. "It'll probably be easier than taking on an entire army by ourselves!"
They all looked to Kai, who rolled his eyes. "Fine, yes, it's a good plan. Let's do it," he sighed. Hiro smiled.
"So how are we supposed to get Stone Warrior armor?" Jay asked.
"What about the Warriors we caught yesterday?" Lloyd suggested. "I checked this morning and they were still tied up. You can take their stuff!"
"Good idea," Cole chimed in.
"Okay, but what about getting into the camp?" Misako asked.
"If you show up at the gates, I'm sure they have guards that are going to open the doors," Hiro explained. "If they see that you're 'one of them,' they'll let you in. You just have to act like Misako is a prisoner. And you need to act like you're fighting back," he added, nodding to Misako. "Struggle, swear, do what you need. And demand to see Garmadon. There's a good chance they know who you are, if they know who Lloyd is."
She nodded. "I think this is going to work!"
"Go, while the light is still in the sky," Wu encouraged. The team nodded and began preparing to leave. Lloyd nudged Hiro and nodded toward the beach the other boys had spent the morning practicing their powers on. Hiro got the hint, and the two snuck away from the rest of the team.
Hiro looked out over the ocean, squinting as the light reflected off the water. He glanced at Lloyd, who looked lost in thought. "Hey," he said, poking Lloyd's arm. Lloyd turned to look at him. "I know it sucks that you can't go, but I promise you it's not going to be fun anyway, so maybe try to smile?" After a moment, Lloyd flashed him a genuine grin. Hiro nodded in satisfaction, looking back toward the waves. The water traveled up the sand and covered his feet, soaking through the extra pair of shoes Wu had forced Jay to offer him, cold despite the sun beating down on it. Hiro took a step back, wrinkling his nose.
"Do you promise to go easy on me?" Lloyd asked. Hiro smiled and nodded, stepping away from Lloyd and raising his hands. Lloyd sighed, placing his hands in front of his chest. As soon as Hiro saw a ball of green energy forming between Lloyd's hands, he let his power wrap around the blond boy and lifted him off the ground. Lloyd yelped, the energy ball dying as he flailed his limbs and became distracted. "Hiro!" he complained. "Put me down!"
"Hey, I could crush your ribs right now," Hiro countered. "But I'm not, because I'm going easy on you. Try to get out of it!"
"I can't," Lloyd whined. Hiro chuckled and gently set him back on the ground. Lloyd sighed, dusting imaginary dirt off his clothes. "This is never going to be a fair fight," he pointed out. Hiro shrugged. "You're more powerful."
"Alright, hit me," he offered.
"What?" Lloyd asked, blinking in surprise.
"You heard me. Hit me. Make me weak, and then we'll see what happens."
"I'm not going to hit you."
"Lloyd—"
"No!" Lloyd exclaimed. "I don't need to hit you to beat you," he added. Hiro raised his eyebrows, tilting his head in a silent challenge. Lloyd held up his hands in surrender. "Just . . . let me think of a plan first, okay? We usually have time to figure out how to beat the powerful enemies." Hiro tried to hide his smile as Lloyd's face fell and he quickly scrambled to fix his wording. "Not that you're an enemy! I just mean that usually we have plans, I don't think you're an enemy, which is exactly why I don't want to hit you, and I—"
Hiro snorted, covering his mouth. Lloyd faltered, smiling sheepishly. "Don't worry, I know what you meant," he assured. "Keep planning. I'll still win."
"We'll see," Lloyd teased. He looked down at Hiro's hands. "So you can make people fly."
"Telekinesis," he said, remembering the word Wu had used. "And Biokineses, I think. I never thought to name them."
"You never had the names for them," Lloyd reminded him, and for some reason it didn't sound mocking despite the way he'd chosen to word his sentence. "I wonder if there are others like you out there. Elemental Masters are kind of unique." Seeing the Hiro was interested in hearing more, Lloyd continued, "Because Kai is the Master of Fire, there isn't another Master of Fire. Same with everyone else. Elemental powers can only be held by one person." Hiro nodded, following along.
"Did you guys inherit your powers?" he wondered.
Lloyd shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we can ask Sensei Wu. I doubt I inherited anything from my parents though. It's probably my grandfather's power."
"Who was your grandfather?" Hiro asked. They began walking back toward the last place they'd seen Wu.
Lloyd smiled sheepishly. "Oh, um . . . the First Spinjitzu Master," he revealed, stopping Hiro in his tracks. Lloyd frowned. "Uh, my dad and uncle, they're his sons."
Hiro squinted at him, though he quickly realized it must have looked like a glare. He settled for crossing his arms and asking, "So . . . how old are they then? Because last I checked, the battle between my father and your grandfather was so long ago that my father had enough time to grow his strength and make me, and then who knows how many years passed after that. They must be old," he whispered. Lloyd chuckled.
"I guess I never thought about that. They're probably hundreds of years old!"
"Centuries!" Hiro argued. They both giggled as they approached Nya, Wu, and Dr. Julien, Hiro figuring that the team must have already left to get the Helmet.
"What's so funny?" Nya asked as they got closer. Hiro and Lloyd shrugged. She rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Fine, keep your secrets," she teased.
"Boys!" Dr. Julien called, motioning for them to come over. He was standing on top of the Earth Driller, hammer in hand. "Can you help me fix the drill? It'll be good to have for when you all need to get to the Clock," he said. Hiro and Lloyd nodded, each grabbing a tool and getting to work.
Time passed, forever slow. When he was a child, Hiro was great at finding things to do to keep him entertained for days on end. But now that he was older, it was as if time moved slower than it used to. Maybe it was his anxiety about the plan, and if it was going well. They hadn't heard from the Ninja since that morning, and it was now becoming late afternoon. Hiro feared that the worst had happened to them. Maybe if he had gone with them, he would have been able to stop it. He would at least know what was happening.
"Sensei," Nya said as the sun shined down on them, "I'm going to go. I'll get close to the camp, and if they're in danger, I'll get them out."
Wu sighed. He nodded. "Go. Be safe. Don't draw attention to yourself."
"Good luck, Nya!" Hiro yelled as she got into the Earth Driller. She waved at at him and drove out of their secret base. He watched the Driller disappear around the corner, then heard it going underground. He sighed.
"This sucks," he muttered, leaning against the work bench with his back against the wood, his elbows supporting him.
Lloyd smiled at him. "You're very impatient," he noted.
"Another reason I would suck at being a ninja?" Hiro guessed, grinning when Lloyd looked abashed. "Relax, I'm fucking with you. We're still good."
Lloyd frowned. "How do you know that word?"
Hiro raised his eyebrows, pushing himself off the work bench. "Do you really think my dad cared about swearing in front of me as a child? I'm pretty sure my first word to your team was fuck." Lloyd smiled at him almost sadly, quickly correcting his expression when he saw that Hiro wasn't happy. "Does it make you uncomfortable when I swear? I can cut back," he offered, not wanting to make Lloyd or anyone else uncomfortable.
Lloyd shook his head. "No, you're fine. I was just curious."
Hiro nodded. He spotted Wu approaching them with what looked like a flat rock, but it became clear that it wasn't a stone the closer he got. Hiro moved away from the table as Wu placed the strange device on top of the wood. His reflection was shown in the glass. He looked over Wu's shoulder, squinting at it.
Hiro studied the device, tilting his head. "What's it for?" he asked.
"It's a tablet. I'm going to use it to contact the team," Wu said. As if on cue, the screen turned on, revealing Nya at the wheel of the Earth Driller. "Did we get the helmet?" Wu asked. Hiro held his breath, sighing in relief when Nya said they had and that everyone was accounted for. "Then let's rendezvous at the Clock." The team bid their goodbyes and the screen wend black. Wu turned to Hiro expectantly.
Hiro frowned. "Wu, I don't know where the Clock is," he insisted.
"Maybe not when you think about it," Wu told him. Hiro tilted his head, confused. "Close your eyes. Reach out with your powers. You know this island better than anyone. Feel the power that the Clock gives off, the energy that it holds. And you will lead us to it," he assured Hiro. Hiro did as he said, trying not to be a pessimist, even though he was sure that Wu's advice wouldn't work.
He allowed himself to visualize the island. As a child, he'd known it like the back of his hand. That was still true for the most part — he could tell you exactly where to go to find the freshest water. He could point you in the direction of the nearest coconut tree. But that had been when the island was but a blip. This new land was bigger, more vast. He took a deep breath, letting his power roam around the island, trying to find the energy Wu said he was looking for. He went still for a moment, feeling something hot touch his power.
Involuntarily, he took a step toward the right. He opened his eyes and pointed into the forest. "That way," he said, taking off before Wu or Lloyd could say a word.
He ran through the forest as fast as he could, jumping over logs and ducking under hanging branches. Even so, his face became scratched, small dots of blood appearing along his cheeks. It hardly bothered him. The wind pushed against his face, stinging his nose and cheeks as he ran, heart pounding, air scarce in his lungs. For the briefest moment, he paused when he felt the ground shake underneath his feet. This gave Wu and Lloyd enough time to catch up with him, both of them panting.
"Hiro," Lloyd wheezed, "don't do that again!"
"Something is close," Hiro said in response, calming his breathing. "Did you feel it?" As if in response, the ground shook again. Over a slope, Hiro heard the sounds of fighting. "That sounds like the Ninja."
Lloyd frowned. "We need to help them!"
Wu put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "Go. You know the direction of the Clock. Help them and then meet us there." Lloyd nodded, pulling his mask over his face. Hiro wanted to protest. He wanted to go with Lloyd and help the team, but he knew it was important for he and Wu to get to the Clock. So he nodded to Lloyd and watched him disappear over the slope. He turned back to Wu and motioned in the direction they had been going in before, this time running at a slower pace for Wu's benefit.
It felt like they were running for another ten minutes, Hiro feeling the energy growing stronger the closer they got to the Clock. When Hiro broke through the trees, he came to a complete stop, not seeing the Clock anywhere in sight. Then his eyes landed on the tallest mountain as Wu joined his side. Without thinking, he pointed to the top of it. "There," he said, letting his arm drop to his side. "It's up there."
( BIRTHRIGHT — LEGACY OF THE GREEN NINJA )
Hiro looked over the edge of the rock, anxiously twisting his hands together. The Ninja had yet to arrive. What if they had been captured, or worse? What if they were on their way, but they didn't make it in time? There was hardly in time left on the Celestial Clock — if they didn't get the Helmet of Darkness back to its original resting place very soon, it looked like they would be no hope in ending the final battle before it even began.
"It will do you no good to worry," Wu tried to assure him.
Hiro glowered at him. "You're worried," he argued, noting the way Wu's eyebrows were drawn together. "Where are they? They have a drill, shouldn't they be able to—?" His words, which were going to be drill through the ground, were cut off as the ground beneath their feet trembled. Hiro jumped out of the way, moving to stand by Wu's side as the Earth Driller broke through the mountain, the massive golden drill making a noise that buzzed through Hiro's head. It came to a stop just in front of them.
"Wow," Nya said dreamily as the top, glass door of the drill opened. "This clock is a mechanical masterpiece!" Hiro turned to face it as everyone exited the drill and ran up to the huge machine in front of them. There were several massive sphere-tipped metal arms rotating around it, with a massive clock at it's core. At the top, where the final tick would end, there was the image of a skull, which didn't make Hiro feel hopeful.
"There's only a couple minutes left!" Jay exclaimed, pointing at the time.
"Everyone, look for the helmet's perch! It could be anywhere!" Misako ordered. Everyone broke away to look for the perch, Hiro included. He ran to the other side of the Clock, eyes scanning for anything that looked like it would be a good place to put a helmet. Around him, he could hear the Ninja calling out suggestions, but failing to find the correct place. He frowned, anxiety crawling under his skin as the he heard the time continuing to tick down.
"Maybe . . ." He sighed, tearing his eyes away from a place near the edge of where he was standing, figuring it would be a bad place to put a Helmet. Then he rolled his eyes and started waving his hands at Zane, who currently held the Helmet, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to try. Zane caught his eye and didn't hesitate to throw the Helmet down to him, which Hiro could only imagine went over so well in his team mates' heads. Hiro placed the Helmet on the place he thought was a good spot, but the Clock kept ticking. He sighed, holding it up.
"Oh, what about here!" Jay called. Hiro tossed him the Helmet and watched him jump until he reached a high place in the Clock. Unfortunately, it wasn't the place.
"Could this be the place?" Wu suggested. Hiro looked over to him and felt his heart drop into his stomach.
Kozu was coming up behind him. Jay threw the Helmet in Wu's direction. Hiro's mind went blank even as he yelled, "Watch out—!" Wu fell to the ground as Kozu pushed him, the Warrior grabbing the Helmet out of the air. He raised his four arms to the sky and laughed. The team gathered into formation beside the Clock, and after a moment Hiro joined Lloyd's side, holding out his hands. He might not be able to take all the Warriors at once, and he might be exhausted by the end of it, but if he could throw some of them off a cliff, that counted as a win in his book.
"There's only thirty seconds left," Kozu taunted. "I believe it's time to die—!" His words were cut short by a pole from the Clock knowing the Helmet out of his hands as he approached the team. He cried out as the Helmet bounced between the Clock, finally finding a place near the top. Almost immediately, a Stone Warrior began jumping up the Clock to retrieve the Helmet. Cole was quick to follow. With him so far behind and the Stone Warrior already at the Helmet, Hiro did the only thing he could think of — he let his power wrap around the Warrior and threw him with as much force as he could toward the ocean. Kozu watched the Warrior go flying before his eyes settled on Hiro, who instantly reached out to make sure Kozu didn't move.
"You," he growled. "The Heir."
"Is that what you're calling me?" Hiro demanded, hating the name to his very core. "The Heir? Did my dad tell you to call me that? Because that is the most—"
"Hiro!" Lloyd interrupted. Hiro stopped, looking up as the Helmet fell from Cole's hands and started falling between the Clock. Both sides of the war watched it fall, all of them reaching out to grab it, but Jay and Zane knocked it into the middle. Hiro barely heard Misako's gasp and exclamation that she saw the perch, too busy making sure that Kozu stayed rooted in place. He was the most dangerous enemy. Letting him go would mean he gets the upper hand, or could hurt someone on the team. The Ninja could deal with the simple Warriors, that Hiro was confident about, but he didn't have faith in their ability to take on Kozu.
Hiro's concentration broke when he heard the Clock slow to a stop. He looked up at the massive golden poles slowed, the ticking stopping in it's tracks. He noted that the final hand on the Clock had reached the skull, but nothing was happening.
They'd won.
Hiro grinned despite himself, watching as the team cheered for their victory while the Stone Army growled and became more anxious to attack. Even with the Ninja's win, Hiro knew they would still have to fight the Warriors. But he thought, for a brief moment, that they would win again. He had hope that they would pull through another battle.
And then the Clock slowly started spinning again, a horn blaring through the air. Hiro felt his blood run cold. Though he'd never heard the sound before, he placed it easily — the Horns of Destruction, the very same thing his father said would happen when his plan was completely put into motion. Hiro tore his eyes away from the sight of their doom when he heard Kozu begin to laugh evilly, knowing that Garmadon and, worse, The Overlord, had won.
A golden beam of energy traveled through the Clock, hitting the many spheres orbiting its core. Seconds later, the beam bounced off the Clock and began heading in a direction that Hiro assumed was Garmadon's camp, the very same that the Ninja had invaded that day. He didn't have time to mourn for their loss before he was getting ready to fight. The Stone Warriors approached them, swords drawn, and Lloyd pulled him back with the rest of the team, toward the edge of the cliff. Hiro stepped back with them, raising his hands in front of him and stopping Kozu from advancing, but he couldn't find the strength or concentrate enough to stop the rest of the Warriors.
Below them, the ground trembled as the rock they stood on began breaking away from the rest of the mountain.
Hiro failed the plant his feet firmly on the ground, arms cartwheeling as he fell onto his back. Just as quickly, the rock dropped further down the mountain. Hiro heard a scream echo through the air, and it took him a moment to connect the voice to Nya. He looked up and was horrified to see that Kozu had grabbed her and was holding her hostage on top of the mountain, where she couldn't escape and they couldn't get to her. Hiro scowled and pushed himself back onto his feet, holding out his hands to get Nya back to the team — but then the rock completely broke away, sending him and the team into the ocean below.
Hiro gritted his teeth as a strange feeling hit his stomach, his eyes closing so he wouldn't have to see the ground rushing up to meet them. They all hit the water, and Hiro's eyes snapped open as he felt the cold sea envelop him. He looked around wildly, flailing his arms. The water was so dark they he couldn't see a foot in front of him. His hand broke through the top of the water and someone grabbed him from above, pulling him into the shore. Hiro coughed, sputtering as he tried to get rid of the water in his nose. He looked up when he felt that the person hadn't let go, thankful to see Misako. She helped him to his feet as Wu got Lloyd out of the water.
Above them, the Stone Warriors looked over the edge, jeering at them. Nya screamed again.
Kai whirled around, taking a step toward Hiro. "Get her down from there!" he demanded. Hiro didn't even try to glare at him; he held his hands up, pushing his power out, trying to reach Nya. But it fell short not even halfway up the mountain. He scowled, putting all his strength into making it climb higher, but the moment he felt lightheaded, he dropped it, letting his hands fall to his sides. He shook his head numbly. "What do you mean no? You have to save her!"
"Kai—" Misako began.
"I can't reach her," Hiro admitted, his heart pounding so hard that Hiro was afraid his father could hear it. "And if I did, all that would happen is that she would fall from there and die! I'm not strong enough!"
"Then what use are you!"
"Hey!" Lloyd snapped, stepping between them. "This is all my fault. I should've taken the shot!" he said, cutting out in room for their argument.
Before Hiro could argue, Cole spoke up, saying, "We're all at fault, kid. It's just the way the cookie crumbled." Though Hiro knew he was trying to be comforting, it didn't help calm the feeling of his anxiety clawing it's way through his stomach, making him feel queasy.
The word choice clearly didn't help either, as Jay exclaimed, "Are you still making jokes? They have Nya, and you're making jokes?" Jay tackled him to the ground. Hiro's eyes widened as he watched them struggle, not sure if he was supposed to step in and stop them or let them fight it out. He'd never seen tensions be this high between the team. He thought that they got along well, other than when they spoke about him. Seeing them fight was something new.
Just before Jay punched Cole, Wu yelled, "Enough!" as he planted his staff into the ground. "We have lost enough. We don't need to lose our focus." Lloyd covered his face with his hands. Hiro stepped beside him as Kai confronted Wu and Misako talked the hothead down. He placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder, a silent message — this isn't your fault. Lloyd turned his head to look at Hiro, eyes red, close to tears but unwilling to admit it. Hiro nodded.
"We must head back to the Bounty to get prepared," Misako announced as Kai glared at her, "so that next time, you will not hesitate." The team looked back at Lloyd, who still looked distraught. Wu sighed, putting a hand against his back to lead him away.
"Come on, Lloyd. Let's go home. You will get your chance," he promised.
Hiro watched them go, a little unwilling to follow. He stopped when he saw that Jay hadn't moved either, and followed his gaze to the top of the mountain. He and Jay watched the Stone Warriors and Nya disappear as the sun began to set. Without a work, they fell into step together and followed the team, everyone exhausted and scared for what was to come.
How had the day gone so wrong?
Just that morning, he'd seen the team laughing and having fun with their new powers. He'd helped them design a full proof plan to get them inside, and it had worked, and for once he'd actually felt useful. He'd laughed with Lloyd and was told he would be — was — a valuable member of the team. He'd started to think that maybe he could find his place among the Ninja. And then suddenly, the happiness from the new day had been ripped away by the end of the daylight, replaced by a tired silence as they trudged home. Or, to the Destiny's Bounty — the Ninja's home, but not Hiro's.
Hiro fell behind. He kept a few feet behind Cole, wondering if it would be better for the team if he ran. Maybe Kai was right. What use was Hiro if he wouldn't use his powers to save the important people? What good could Hiro do for the team? All he seemed to do was drive them further apart.
Cole stopped, turning to look at Hiro. Hiro realized that he had stopped walking. He reluctantly met Cole's eyes, wondering if he was going to be told to leave. "Are you coming?" Cole asked instead, sounding expectant, like Hiro didn't have a choice.
Hiro hesitated, exhaling. Then he walked faster to catch up with the team.
The name Hiro had struck him for a reason. He was going to live up to it.