CHAPTER EIGHT
FIGHT CLUB

REALIZATIONS

TUCKED INTO THE VALLEY OF MOUNTAINS — yes, that was its name — sat a quaint little monastery, resting at the base of a mountain. It was surrounded by a small village, populated by very few people, all of who sent their children to train under the monastery's roof. The six-floored building didn't compare to the height of the mountain behind it, where a waterfall flowed down, the only source of water in the village for perhaps miles. It was, perhaps, the nicest place Hiro had ever seen. The second he laid eyes on it, he felt a little jealous — a scarcely populated, nature-driven village in the middle of nowhere, with no technology to be seen and a sacred peace blessing the town? If he had known that this was what Garmadon and Misako had built, maybe he would have convinced Lloyd to stop by sooner.

The wind grew stronger the longer the team traveled. Hiro and Lloyd had put their communicators back in halfway into the journey, but no one on the team had spoken up since their departure from the city, Wu's absence weighing heavy in their hearts. It had taken them only a few hours to travel from the city to Garmadon's Monastery, but the morning sun was already shinning bright, the heat creeping up Hiro's body the longer they stayed in the sky. Despite being exhausted beyond measure — he'd finally used his powers to their full extent for the first time in weeks while still being tired from traveling for so long before the fight — Hiro hadn't found enough peace to sleep during the flight. He knew Lloyd would never let him fall, but the risk was too great for him to comfortable doze off.

Still, he yawned, resting his chin on Lloyd's shoulder. Lloyd had been quiet for far too long. Hiro took out his earpiece. "Are you doing okay?" he asked.

Lloyd glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. After a moment, he took out his own communicator. "No," he admitted. "I haven't seen my parents for weeks and now we need their help. I have no idea what I'm going to tell them. And what am I supposed to say about Sensei?" He sighed, hanging his head slightly. "I couldn't save him."

"That isn't your fault," Hiro protested. "My da—" He cut himself off, exhaling harshly. "The Overlord would've gotten stronger if we had gone back for him, and we would have been captured if we tried to think of another plan. That isn't your fault."

"If I had made sure he was dead the first time, this wouldn't be happening," Lloyd argued. "But I thought it was over. I was naive!"

"We all were," Hiro said softly, hoping to get Lloyd to lower his volume. "We all thought he was dead, Lloyd. No one doubted it. That isn't your fault. None of this is your fault."

Lloyd scoffed. "Yeah, well it doesn't feel that way," he said bitterly, his tone suggesting that he didn't want any arguments. Hiro sat back, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He needed to have empathy (or sympathy? Hiro would need to have Zane explain the difference again. The words were too similar for him to care about the difference) for Lloyd's situation, as the most powerful, but youngest, on a team of teenagers that just lost their leader — Lloyd's uncle, and probably the only family member he was truly closest to. He couldn't get annoyed by Lloyd thinking that all the bad things were his fault, or else Lloyd would really start thinking every bad thing was because of him.

Hiro put his earpiece back in. They were heading to a forest to the left of the village, a little ways away from the monastery. It wasn't a thick forest by any means, but it would be a good place to hide their vehicles until they needed to leave again. And the best part was that there was no technology in sight, other than the Ninja's new methods of transportation, but those were the good kind of machines, Hiro supposed. His father had no rule out here. For now, they were safe, hidden inside a valley surrounded by mountains. They could breath.

So why did it feel so difficult to do so?

Lloyd let the reins rest, coxing his dragon downward. They broke through the tops of a cluster of trees and came to a gentle landing, the Zane and Kai following after them as Cole and Jay pulled up. With a nod of confirmation from Hiro, Lloyd made the dragon disappear, finally giving Hiro a warning so he didn't panic when falling. Hiro looked up at the sun as the Ninja got out of their vehicles, everyone coming to meet in the middle with Lloyd and Hiro. He shielded his eyes, squinting. It couldn't have been past 9:00 a.m., and yet the heat was bearing down on them like it had nowhere else to go.

"So what's the plan?" Hiro asked as everyone gathered around. "Lay low, build up our strength?"

Lloyd shrugged. "I don't know." He sighed, looking around. "When did Nya say she was going to meet us here?"

"Soon," Jay informed them. "She's making sure the kids are safe and then coming straight here." He sounded excited about that. Sometimes Hiro forgot that Jay and Nya were, like, together. Half the time it didn't seem like it, but, then again, he wasn't with them for the other half of the time, when they probably acted like a love-sick, puppy dog couple that everyone gushed about. Good for them, he supposed.

"I'm hungry," Cole spoke up.

"You're always hungry," Kai complained.

"Well it's not my fault I need food to sustain my strength!" Cole protested, voice mocking as he glared at Kai. "We've been traveling for hours, how are you not hungry?"

"Because I have more important things on my mind!"

Hiro pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to walk away. Whatever thoughts he had had about wanting to spend more time at the school and with the team should be disregarded — if this was how they acted in a time of crisis, Hiro didn't want to experience their behavior while peace was in place. He had a feeling they'd be just as, if not more annoying than they were right now.

Lloyd put a hand on his shoulder. Hiro looked up to see the blond holding back a laugh. He narrowed his eyes at Lloyd as his friend turned to address the Ninja. "Guys, guys, please," he started, holding up his hands. "Zane, can you go into the village to get food? Cole is right, we traveled for a while and we need to eat." Zane nodded. "Great. Cole, Jay, start looking for things to hide our vehicles with. If a drone flies over and spots one of them, our cover is blown." Cole sighed, but agreed; Jay nodded, sensing the seriousness of the situation. "Hiro, Kai—" He cut himself off quickly, looking sheepish. Kai's and Hiro's eyes met, both of them taking a step away from each other. "Uh, Hiro, you go with Zane. Kai, you and I are going to go to the monastery and talk to my parents." Kai nodded. Hiro crossed his arms, dipping his head once. "Great! Ninja, go!" Lloyd's eyes cut to Hiro, who raised his eyebrows.

"Don't start," Hiro threatened, pointing at Lloyd menacingly as Lloyd went to correct himself. Lloyd chuckled. Hiro's gaze shifted to Zane, who smiled at him. "Come on, let's go find some food," Hiro said, tilting his head toward the direction of the village. He began walking away from the group, sending a wave behind him to Lloyd as Zane ran to catch up.

They made it to the edge of the forest in a comfortable silence, the village coming into view before they even broke through the trees. Zane strolled at a leisurely pace, looking around the valley with interest. Hiro kept his eyes active, his gaze darting around every second in search of threats. Instead, he found harmless workers at small farms and children playing by the bank of the water. The village was harmless — the monastery granted them a sense of peace and belonging, and it promised to do the same for Hiro and the Ninja. Still, Hiro couldn't help but feel weary, his old fears creeping back into his mind — every single one of them about his father.

"Do you think they sell?" Hiro asked, nodding to a few people strolling about with bags thrown over their shoulder. "They're farmers. They sell, don't they?"

"The Valley Village—" Hiro rolled his eyes at the name. "—is peaceful and is said to be welcoming to any wondering stranger as long as that same politeness is returned. I'm sure if we ask respectfully, they'll give us something to eat for free," Zane mused.

Hiro frowned, kicking at rocks that he came across on the dirt path. "Yeah, I don't feel good about taking free food from farmers. That doesn't sit well."

Zane looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "I don't think they'll mind," he assured. "I can ask them, if you'd like."

Hiro shrugged, anxiety crawling under his skin. Did Zane not have the same feeling of terror at the thought of talking to someone who wasn't Lloyd, or at least someone Lloyd knew? What was that like? Hiro had never felt comfortable around strangers (unless, of course, there was a crisis, like when he'd first met the Ninja. But getting food was hardly an upcoming battle, was it?). Asking them for free food when he didn't even know their names? It felt like an insult.

But Zane merely walked up to one of the farmers, a man who looked older. Not as old as Wu, but old enough to be a father, if Hiro had to describe him, with long brown hair pulled back and a cart in front of him. Zane greeted the man and began making small talk. In a matter of minutes, the man was laughing and nodding his head, as if Zane had just told the best joke in the world. Hiro watched with muted amazement as the man began handing Zane food — apples and oranges. The man held up his finger, singling for Zane to wait, before turning and heading into a house to his right, hopefully his own. Zane turned his head and gave Hiro a thumbs up. Hiro quickly did the same, wondering how the hell Zane was convincing the man to give them food.

Hiro felt something hit his leg. He turned, finding himself staring down at a large red ball that had come from his left. He looked up, seeing a small group of kids coming toward them. They all stopped the moment he laid his eyes on them (and, no, he did not make them stop, they did it of their own free will). Hiro and the kids stared at each other, each daring the other to make the first move. With a scoff, Hiro kicked the ball toward them, making sure to put enough force so it would reach them without hurting them. He turned away again, eyes finding Zane, who waited patiently for the man to return.

The ball hit him again. Hiro frowned and looked toward the kids, who each gave him an expectant look. With a sigh, he kicked the ball back, crossing his arms to make himself look more intimidating. But one of the kids, who seemed to be the leader, kicked it back again, stepping forward to make herself more known. Hiro narrowed his eyes, hesitantly kicking the ball back. The girl gave him a grin; he saw that her two front teeth were missing. She kicked the ball back.

". . . Damn it," Hiro sighed, sending the ball back as he fully turned to face the kids.

A war broke out. The kids rushed for the ball, each of them trying to kick it back toward him. Hiro soon found himself surrounded by kids, all of them talking at once and trying to get him to kick the ball toward them. Hiro took a few steps and stumbled around, trying not to step on anyone. The sound of laughter filled the air as Hiro finally fell, landing on his back. He quickly pushed himself up, trying to stand, only to be stopped by the kids dog-piling onto him. He finally hit the grass with an, "Oof!", which only served to make the kids laugh again. Hiro rolled his eyes, fighting back a smile.

Zane entered his vision, upside down. He smiled down at Hiro, who quickly averted his eyes. "I see you're having fun," the Nindroid noted.

"Oh, I'm having a grand old time," Hiro retorted, slightly breathless due to the weight on his chest. ". . . Can you help me out?" Zane chuckled, shooing the kids away. They got up, some of them voicing their complaints. Hiro got to his feet, coughing. He saw the kids wandering away, though a few turned back to wave at him. He returned the gesture before looking back at Zane. He nodded to the bag in his hands. "What'd he give you?" he asked as they began walking back to the woods.

"Sandwiches for each of us," Zane told him. "Plus a few fruits."

"What did you say that made him laugh?"

Zane shrugged. "I was myself. And I respected him," he said casually, as if that was supposed to make sense. Hiro pursed his lips and shook his head, figuring he'd work out whatever riddle Zane was saying later.

Nya was already with the boys by the time Zane and Hiro made it back. She, Jay, Cole, and Kai were working to hide their vehicles, uprooting trees and bushes to cover each one. Hiro caught sight of Cole carrying a literal fully grown tree to hide his tall mech, which made Hiro wonder how strong Cole really was. This guy could uproot and life an entire tree — was he secretly superhuman? What was his workout routine like?

"This is the perfect place to lay low," Lloyd announced, looking around as he took in the forest. "No robots, no camera, no problems."

Nya tutted, approaching him. "Still, if any aerial drones pass overhead, you better wear this." She tossed him a folded up green gi. "It will scramble their signal so they can't find you," she explained. Lloyd nodded, disappearing behind a cluster of trees to change. Nya looked at Hiro and smiled sadly. "Unfortunately I don't have anything for you, Shiro. I'm sorry."

Hiro shrugged. "It's fine. I can just, uh . . ." He pulled up his hood. It almost fell in front of his eyes. "There we go." Nya chuckled softly.

"Yeah, this is sweet," Lloyd laughed. Hiro turned, pushing his hood back so he could see Lloyd properly. His hand dropped his side weakly as he took in the sight of Lloyd.

His golden outfit was no more (and, well, that was good, because Hiro had never been the biggest fan of the shiny, reflective suit. It looked tacky), replaced with the color green again, with hints of gold shining throughout. He had a half-mask like the rest of the Ninja, his hair now visible — he looked nice. Really nice. To the point where Hiro found trouble finding the words to compliment him, especially when Lloyd met his gaze. Lloyd's eyes did the thing they did when he smiled. Was he smiling under the mask?

Hiro bit the inside of his cheek. "You, uh . . . you're green. Again."

Lloyd grinned. "That's it?"

"You look . . . uh, do I call you the Green Ninja again?" he asked. Behind him, he heard Jay cough loudly, then yelp. Hiro assumed someone — possibly Cole or Nya — had found a way to shut him up.

"I . . . guess?" Lloyd questioned. He shrugged, looking slightly disappointed. Hiro tried to decipher why.

His thought process was interrupted by a soft, "Lloyd?" coming from behind the now-Green Ninja. Hiro perked up, recognizing the sound as Misako, who he hadn't seen since the aftermath of the Final Battle. Lloyd turned as she ran to hug him. Hiro smiled at the sight, feeling a little proud of Lloyd in that moment. "Oh, what are you all doing here?" she asked, pulling back from the hug to look at the team.

Hiro frowned. Hadn't Kai and Lloyd gone to see Misako and Garmadon? Seeing Hiro and Zane's matching expressions, Lloyd quickly said, "We went to talk to them, but their students said they'd gone out to get supplies." Hiro nodded. Lloyd turned back to his mom. "The Overlord's back and New Ninjago City has fallen under his control." He sighed, looking away. "He has Sensei Wu," he added, sounding ashamed. Hiro frowned at him.

"Wu's tough," Misako assured him, sensing her son's disappoint with himself. "There's a reason he's lived as long as he has."

Hiro shifted, crossing his arms to distract himself from laughing. He bit back a smile, staring daggers into the grass below his feet. "Well, where's Dad?" Lloyd asked, perking up.

"Yeah, where's Lord Garmadon?" Kai asked, obviously mocking. Hiro raised his eyebrows, not looking back at him — Kai was pretty brave to insult Lloyd's father in front of him.

"He no longer goes by Lord," Misako said easily, though she gave Kai a look that made Hiro feel bad. "Here, he is Sensei Garmadon, and he won't be back until this evening's lesson," she added. Hiro nodded, slightly impressed with her tone, which left no room for arguments.

"I'm glad he's on our side now. With Sensei Wu gone, we could use the help," Zane said.

"Come in, but your weapons are not allowed," Misako explained, beginning to lead them toward the monastery. Hiro followed behind the Ninja. "Every since Lloyd save his father, Garmadon's sworn an oath to never fight, in hope to make up for his evil past." The Ninja paused. Hiro did the same, taking a step back so he wouldn't run into anyone. "It's an oath he takes very seriously," she finished, continuing to walk.

"But we were supposed to protect these with our lives," Kai spoke up, hesitant.

"And never let them out of our sight," Jay added.

"You guys go on ahead," Zane offered. "I will stay back and watch over them."

Without any hesitance, the Ninja began handing the Techno Blades over, voicing their approval of Zane's suggestion as they began to walk away. Hiro frowned, staying where he was. Zane sighed, watching the others leave him behind. He turned to see Hiro and frowned, nodding to the Ninja. Hiro shook his head.

Lloyd turned, seeing that Hiro wasn't following. "Hiro?" he called. Hiro met his eyes.

"I think I'm going to stay with Zane," he admitted, nodding to Zane before approaching Lloyd. "I don't feel good about leaving him alone," he added, softer so Zane couldn't hear him. Another thought crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it down, not wanting Lloyd to know what else he was thinking.

Lloyd looked troubled. "Are you sure? He said he's okay with it." His tone said something else — you're saying behind again?

Hiro nodded. "You go on ahead. Say hi to your dad, eat something, do whatever you need to do." He pointed a finger at him. "But if you guys are staying the night or some bullshit like that, you better not leave Zane and I out here to freeze to death. Especially because he doesn't freeze."

Lloyd chuckled, though he still didn't look happy about the fact that Hiro was staying behind. "Alright, I promise I won't let that happen." He shifted, looking back toward the group, which had stopped, waiting for him to catch up. "Just . . . be safe, okay?" Hiro nodded. After a moment, Lloyd turned and ran toward the group, catching up with them as they began walking again. Hiro watched them go, letting out of a soft sigh before he turned around again, finding that Zane had settled against a rock, the Techno Blades in front of him.

Hiro sat down across from him, staring at the Blades. He absentmindedly plucked a piece of grass from the ground, fiddling with it. He knew they had a long day ahead of them.

With his back against the tree, Hiro began playing the the piece of grass, tying it into knots as the time passed in silence. He could hear the distant chirping of birds filling the air, from somewhere near the monastery. But other than that and the sound of his own breathing, it was silent — sometimes it unnerved Hiro how inhuman Zane was. Don't get it wrong, Zane displays human qualities pretty well, but he didn't breath. And when he didn't breath, there wasn't much sound filling the space.

"How are you, Shiro?" Zane asked, smiling at him gently. Hiro jumped — it seemed like Zane's voice was louder than usual, but he blamed it on the overwhelming silence from before. Hiro narrowed his eyes, trying to judge Zane's tone of voice. Was he genuinely curious, or did Lloyd pull him aside when Hiro wasn't looking? Why did Zane want to know how he was doing when they had other things to be worrying about, like watching the Techno Blades? Hiro shifted uneasily, messing with the blade of grass he'd plucked up.

"Um. Fine," he managed to say, twisting the grass through his fingers. "You? You seem a little . . . sad," he said, trying to explain what he was sensing. Zane tilted his head. Hiro felt his face heat up. "I don't know. You seem off," he added, wishing the ground would swallow him whole. It had been weeks since he'd been one-on-one with Zane. With Kai, ignoring each other was easy; sometimes Hiro laughed at Jay's jokes, but other than that, they could be in a comfortable silence until one of them left; the same stood for Cole, even though Cole tried to make conversation whenever he saw Hiro; Lloyd was easy to talk to, perhaps the easiest, with Nya coming in second, but Zane? Zane was nice and understanding, but he lacked the same social skills that Hiro did. That didn't mix well.

"I'm okay," Zane said, smile dropping for a moment. "I'm just thinking about someone."

Hiro winced. He almost didn't want to ask. ". . . Your father?"

Dr. Julien had died a week after the Final Battle, a legacy of inventing left behind, along with a son who hadn't shown much emotion the day it happened. Hiro couldn't relate to Zane's feelings over the matter of a father dying — their dads were vastly different, after all — but he could still feel sad over the death of a man who had been so kind to him. It was easy to see where Zane had gotten his compassion from — Dr. Julien had never judged Hiro. Zane didn't seem to, either.

Zane shook his head. "No, though Cyrus Borg did mention him." He smiled sadly. "I was thinking of Pixal. She's a robot, like me, but she's connected to The Overlord's system. She was good, but now . . ." He sighed. Hiro nodded, knowing where he was going with this. "But I sense that I am not the only one with something to think about," he added, giving Hiro an expectant look. Hiro frowned, pointing at himself. Zane nodded. Damn this Nindroid.

"I already said that I'm fine, Zane," Hiro told him.

"And yet I find it hard to believe you."

Hiro pursed his lips. "Sucks for you, I guess," he muttered, plucking two more pieces of grass and beginning to tie them together. He could feel Zane staring at him, waiting for Hiro to, what, talk about his feelings? Make a fool out of himself by whining about his dad being back? They had so many things to do, plans to make — and here Hiro was, sulking at the fact that his father wasn't really dead. It sounded cruel, when he thought about it — it sounded like he was being a brat, a child. If there was one thing Hiro hated about his behavior, it was when he acted childish, especially in front of someone who had lost their dad as well (except Zane didn't want to lose his dad, did he?).

"It can't be easy, Shiro. Especially because he threatened you," Zane coaxed. Hiro glared at the ground. "If you want to talk about it—"

"I don't."

Zane sighed. Hiro wondered why he felt the need to do that. "That's alright," Zane finally relented. After a moment, he added, "How was traveling with Lloyd? We haven't gotten the chance to talk about your adventures in the city since you and Lloyd are always disappearing together." Hiro thought he heard a tone of amusement in Zane's voice, though he couldn't figure out why. Zane was telling the truth — Lloyd and Hiro disappeared together all the time, traveling for Lloyd's awards. What was so funny about that?

Whatever the case, at least Zane wasn't asking about Hiro's feelings anymore.

He launched into telling the stories of his and Lloyd's travels across Ninjago. He told Zane about Roman Yu — "He never changes his suits. Have you noticed that?" Hiro asked, to which Zane nodded — and the museum's needless, stupid awards. He told him about the comic book store and the library, the two places Lloyd had taken him to after the first two awards. He added in a tale about nearly being run down by a group of fangirls that had chased him and Lloyd for about three blocks before they'd managed to sneak away, making Zane laugh. "What about you and the school? How are the students?" Hiro asked, trying not grin when he heard about a prank Brad and Gene had pulled on the Pink Parrots, which involved glitter, glue, and a pile of fake, plastic rodents.

He knew those boys were trouble, but at least they didn't give Hiro any.

Once they were done trading stories about their adventures, Hiro's stomach grumbled. He frowned. "I'm hungry," he admitted, remembering that the team hadn't stopped to eat before leaving for the monastery. Zane dug through the bag of food and tossed him a sandwich wrapped in a plastic bag. Hiro thanked him, quickly digging into it. When was the last time he'd eaten? He and Lloyd had talked about getting dinner before crashing at a hotel last night, before everything had gone to shit. Clearly, those plans had changed.

A peaceful silence settled over the two socially-inept teenagers. Hiro continued typing blades of grass together, trying to make the longest chain of grass in the world. The bird calling had died out to the wind, which blew through the trees and made Hiro feel a little cooler under the sun's heat. For a moment, Hiro paused in his activities, glancing up at the sun to judge what time it was — noon, maybe, or just before. Hiro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. For a moment, his hearing went fuzzy as his exhaustion finally caught up with him. Hiro quickly opened his eyes, trying not to fall asleep.

"Shiro?" Zane asked, pulling Hiro closer to reality. He blinked, nodding for Zane to continue. "Why did you agree to stay with me? Wouldn't you have more fun with the team?"

Hiro shrugged. "Eh, you know. Crowds. I may have been okay with those kids earlier, but I don't think I could handle another interaction like that again for another day." He sighed, bringing his legs close to his chest. "And, uh, I didn't think it was fair to leave you alone out here, given everything that's going on." He glared at the Techno Blades, wondering how they were supposed to be the only thing that could defeat his father. "Can we even classify these things as weapons? They aren't sharp. It makes no sense."

"You could hit someone with them," Zane suggested. "They're large and made of gold. It would be bound to hurt."

"By that logic, anything can be a weapon," Hiro argued. He held up his pieces of tied up grass, which was about three feet long. "You could kill someone with this. It would take some effort, but you could." Zane chuckled, shaking his head. Hiro lowered the grass, studying it. If he made it shorter, he could possibly turn it into a bracelet.

"You don't have to stay for me," Zane told him. "I can watch the Techno Blades. Why don't you go rest with the team?" Hiro gave him a confused look. Zane smiled. "You almost fell asleep a few minutes ago. I assume you haven't had much sleep at all in the last week." Hiro shrugged, then nodded. "I won't fault you if you chose to go inside."

"I'm not leaving you out here alone," Hiro insisted. "There's a dangerous enemy out there, and who knows what kind of power he has. We need to stick together."

Zane nodded, understanding. "Thank you, Shiro," he said sincerely. ". . . Is that the only reason?"

Hiro bit the inside of his cheek, quickly nodding. Another thought crossed his mind — another reason he'd stayed back, because he never seemed to run out of those, but he kept it to himself. Telling Zane would lead to the Ice Ninja telling Lloyd, who would surely cause an argument in Hiro's honor, and while the thought seemed sweet, Hiro really didn't want anyone causing a scene on his behalf. He could deal with his problems on his own, and right now his problem couldn't be solved.

(And if it couldn't be solved because he kept avoiding it, so be it.)

Hiro's eyes fluttered shut again. He yawned, hiding it behind his hand as he tried to fight back the enervation that desperately tried to pull his eyes closed. He blinked rapidly, rubbing at his eyes. It was too quiet. If one of them didn't speak up soon, Hiro was going to fall asleep.

Zane shifted, crossing his legs under him. Hiro looked up at him tiredly. "You should rest now, Shiro. I will watch over you and the Techno Blades," Zane promised.

Hiro frowned. "Don't watch me while I'm sleeping," he muttered, his voice coming out softer than he intended it to be. "That's so weird."

Zane chuckled lightly. "Okay," he agreed, and with that, Hiro quickly feel asleep, letting the week of exhaustion finally catch up with him.

( BIRTHRIGHT — REBOOTED )

Crickets chirped through the evening air, filling the night with sound. The temperature was cold, settling into his skin and making him shiver despite the jacket he wore. His brain felt fuzzy, whispering for him to wake up while battling with itself to stay asleep. Slowly, Hiro opened his eyes, blinking himself awake. The moon had risen, shining down on the grass, but a side source of light came from inside the monastery. The top windows were shinning yellow, indicating that someone — or multiple people — were up there. The moon illuminated everything else, as if it had thrown a light blue shading over the world. It almost made Hiro want to go back to sleep.

He yawned, pushing himself into a sitting position. Sometimes in the last couple hours, he'd managed to lay down on his side. A blanket had been thrown over him; Hiro assumed — and hoped, as any other answer would be strange — that Zane had been the one to give it to him, though he had no idea where the Nindroid had gotten the item. With a sigh, he fully sat up, pulling the blanket around his shoulders as he looked around, wondering what time it was. The moon wasn't high enough for it to be past 1 a.m.. How long had the team been in the monastery for, and when were they going to return?

Hiro became increasingly aware of a problem that was bugging him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The team was inside, probably talking to Garmadon and Misako; he was out here, with Zane and the Techno Blades, and it seemed like the peace hadn't yet been disturbed, so—

Crap. Zane and the Techno Blades. When Hiro's eyes settled on their last location, he found that both were missing. He scrambled to get to his feet, the blanket dropping from his shoulders as he looked around wildly, putting his hands out in front of him just in case there was danger around the corner and he needed to act quick to defend himself.

"Zane!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the trees. The forest had become darker now, as if it had been the one to take the Ice Ninja. "Zane! Where are you?" he called out, turning his back on the monastery to look into the darkness of the forest. In front of him, the bushes began rustling; Hiro's heart rate picked up, drumming under his skin as he stared at the bushes, hands in front of him, waiting for an attack. "Zane?"

A moment later, Zane broke through the bushes, holding the Techno Blades in one hand and a rope in the other. At the other end of the rope was who Hiro would later learn to be Pixal — or, P.I.X.A.L., Zane's robot friend that he had met the day before. She was completely white, with purple stripes scattered around her face, highlighting the fact that she was a droid; her eyes were scarlet red, telling Hiro that she was part of The Overlord's evil technology. Her hair was silver, pulled back into a ponytail. She was rather pretty, Hiro would admit, and he could see why Zane would think so, too.

"What happened?" Hiro demanded, moving forward to help Zane with the Techno Blades.

"Shiro, this is Pixal," Zane introduced, nodding to the girl behind him. Hiro squinted at her. She glared back. "She stole the Blades, but I managed to retrieve them. We should go to the monastery. I think she may have alerted our friends about her presence. They will be worried," he explained, seeing Hiro's hesitance to go to the monastery. After a moment, Hiro nodded, taking the four Techno Blades into his arms so Zane would have an easier time dragging the stubborn girl behind him.

"Good work," Hiro reluctantly complimented. He would have preferred for Zane to have woken him up so he could help, but he understood that there must have been a time constraint.

Zane smiled. "Thank you."

Behind them, Pixal scoffed. "It's only a matter of time until your father is back at full power," she said, trying to rile Hiro up. It almost worked — he tensed, slowing as they came upon the monastery. He put the Techno Blades on the ground. He would have turned around, too, if the doors to the monastery hadn't been thrown up, the team spilling out onto the dirt path with Garmadon behind them.

Hiro didn't have time to pay any mind to Lloyd's father as Kai approached them, letting out a threat about disassembling Pixal to find out how she had found the team's hideout. Hiro wouldn't admit it, but he agreed with the hothead — even as Zane jumped to defend her, saying, "Please, she was only doing what she was programmed to do." He picked up his Techno Blade, activating it. An ice blue mist surrounded the top of the Blade for a moment before disappearing. Behind them, Garmadon tried to protest, but was quickly shut down by Jay.

Zane touched the tip of the Blade to Pixal's forehead. She blinked, and her eyes turned bright green, a more gentle color than the red they previously were. She gasped, taking a few steps back as she looked around. "Where am I?" she questioned, looking to Zane, who probably provided her with some comfort. "Why am I tied up?"

"You were under the control of The Overlord," Zane explained, undoing the rope. "How did you find us?"

"They've mined Sensei Wu's memory. The Overlord knows all of your hiding places," Pixal revealed, sounding apologetic. Hiro felt his stomach sink at that — whatever it meant, mining someone's memory couldn't have been a good thing. Add in the fact that Hiro's father was the one doing it, and Hiro had little hope that Wu was going to be okay after the experience — if The Overlord even allowed him to live once he didn't need Wu anymore.

"My brother!" Garmadon exclaimed, stepping forward. Hiro scowled and took a step away, glancing at Garmadon out of the corner of his eye. "Is he— is he okay?" he asked, stopping himself from asking the question that was on everyone's minds — was Wu even alive?

"Yes," Pixal assured. It was as if a breath of relief came from everyone on the team. "But The Overlord wants your son. His golden power is the only way he can escape the digital realm and become real," she continued, which just installed another fear in Hiro's mind — he could deal with his father simply being a computer virus, but real? They couldn't let that happen. And they especially couldn't let The Overlord get his hands on Lloyd, digital or not.

"Why did Borg give us the Techno Blades to protect?" Kai questioned, activating his own Blade. "Why are they so important?"

"Because together, they can reboot the system, wipe the master computer clean, and destroy The Overlord virus . . . for good." As the team made exclamations of approval, studying the Blades in their hands, Hiro crossed his arms. She made it sound so easy, but with The Overlord controlling most of the technology in New Ninjago, Hiro could only take a guess at how hard it would be to actually get rid of the virus. And getting to the master computer — how were they supposed to do that? Lloyd couldn't get close to The Overlord without being in danger. New Ninjago City was filled with technology controlled by The Overlord. It was, at best, a suicide mission. At worst, it was just suicide.

Pixal gasped, pulling Hiro out of his spiraling thoughts. He immediately became defensive, hands twitching at his sides. Lloyd quickly put a hand on his arm as Nya exclaimed, "What is it?"

"I didn't come alone," Pixal told them. Hiro shook off Lloyd's grip, raising his hands out in front of him, prepared for anything. "I was followed by Nindroids," she announced, and it took a moment for Hiro to register the fact that she had said Nindroids, plural.

He and the team looked around wildly, coming to stand back-to-back in a circle. A moment later, Hiro spotted a dark shape with gleaming red eyes standing atop the monastery as demonic laughter filled the air. Within seconds, more Nindroids appeared, surrounding the team — they had all been invisible, watching and waiting. And, somehow, they'd found the perfect moment to reveal themselves. Hiro hated when the enemy got the upper hand and the flair for the dramatics. What did that leave for the team?

"Five versus eighteen," Pixal calculated. "Probability of survival too low the quantify."

"Gee, thanks!" Hiro spat, letting his power around two Nindroids as the team launched themselves into the battle. "Anymore wonderful statistics that will totally boost our moral?"

He threw the two Nindroids into the air, then moved them behind the monastery, hoping that the water behind the building would be enough to short circuit the robots. He turned and saw Cole using his Spinjitzu against the Nindroids, which seemed to work, as he took two of them down with ease. If front of Hiro, Garmadon leaped into the air and balanced on his staff, letting six Nindroids destroy each other in their attempt to get to him. Then Hiro's eyes settled on Zane, who was surrounded by the new Nindroids and losing terribly. Hiro sneered, running at the group. A flash of green light appeared in his peripheral vision, but he ignored it, figuring it was Lloyd.

"Leave him alone!" Hiro snapped, raising three of the Nindroids into the air. With his newfound energy, he found it easy to put enough force in his throw to send them crashing into one of the mountains that surrounded them, smashing the droids to pieces. Just as the other four turned toward him, about to attack, Lloyd descended from the sky using his Spinjitzu. They met eyes; Hiro nodded to him, moving forward to help him pick up Zane. He put one of Zane's arms over his shoulder and helped Lloyd get him back to the middle, where the team was gathering. Everyone ran inside the monastery, but no one closed the doors behind them, leaving the Nindroids free to follow.

Nya, Garmadon, and the Ninja led the way to the second floor, Nya throwing open one of the side doors so the team could run onto a small wooden balcony that definitely didn't feel safe enough to stand on. Hiro could hear the Nindroids approaching, fast, but tried not to panic. He didn't trust the team with much, but he at least trusted them to come up with a good plan to save them all ( . . . Okay, he mostly trusted them with a plan. He couldn't very well put his life in the Ninja's hands, could he? His well being, maybe, but not his life).

"I've got an idea," Cole announced, turning to them. "Get in the water wheel. We can use autopilot on our vehicles and have them chase them!" Hiro squinted at him, wondering if he was serious. "Pixal, can you access the technology if we get close enough to turn it to autopilot?" Pixal nodded. Were they really about to do this?

It turns out they were. After everyone was safely tucked inside one of the wheel's buckets, Cole broke it off the building. It began to roll, gaining speed with every second as it headed for the forest. Hiro closed his eyes to keep from getting sick, wishing he had just chosen to hide in the monastery until the coast was clear. He gave himself a reminder — never, ever let Cole make a plan again, especially when it involved property damage and the undying feeling of nausea.

The wheel crashed to a stop, resting on the ground. In the darkness, Hiro could see Pixal's eyes, which flashed as she accessed the four different vehicles a few feet away. Seconds later, Hiro heart Kai's and Zane's ships take flight while Jay's car drove off with Cole's mech attached to its back. The sound of the Nindroids pursuing the rouge technology filled the air, every single one of them chasing after the 'Ninja,' leaving the monastery and the Valley Village at peace. It was a good few minutes before the team decided it was a good time to emerge from the wheel, figuring that the Nindroids were finally gone.

"Won't be long until they figure out we used autopilot," he announced. "We should get a move on."

Hiro quickly found Lloyd getting to his side. He saw Misako approaching the ground, probably having come from the monastery once making sure the students were safe. He waved to her, glad to see that she was okay. She smiled and returned the gesture as Garmadon came to stand beside her.

"I'm coming with you," Garmadon insisted. "If The Overlord wants my son, I'm not letting him out of my sight." Hiro's smile dropped slightly. He crossed his arms, turning his head so he could see the team. He hoped they would be safe long enough for Zane to get fixed, but he wasn't optimistic after what had just happened. At least they had Pixal on their side.

"I'll stay and look over the monastery," Misako offered. She gave her husband and son a quick hug before turning to head back to the building.

Garmadon turned to follow after the team. Hiro caught sight of Lloyd's frown. "Wait!" Lloyd called out, making the team pause. They all turned to look at him. "If he wants me, and the Techno Blades are the only things that can stop him, shouldn't we split up? Just in case?" he suggested, walking toward the team. Hiro quickly followed, considering his idea. It actually made perfect sense, though Hiro knew it was the wrong time to tease Lloyd about being right, for once. A shame — he'd love to see Lloyd get playfully defensive about his plans.

"Good thinking," Nya agreed. "Zane's Falcon knows the secret location of my Samurai X Cave. You, your father, and Shiro go and take what you need to get as far away from us as possible," she ordered. Hiro was a little surprised to be included with Lloyd, but he couldn't say he was shocked. Given the fact that they'd done everything together since the Final Battle, it made sense for them to be lumped together once again. Hiro wasn't complaining, but considering Garmadon was also tagging along, he felt a little uneasy.

Lloyd gently nudged him. "Hiro?" he asked, sounding a little hurt. "You're coming with us, right?"

Hiro sighed, watching Lloyd's expression fall. But before he could explain that his powers would be better suited to help the Ninja — even though it pained him to his very core to admit that he might have to leave Lloyd behind — Garmadon spoke up. "That will not be wise, Lloyd. If what you told me is true and you two haven't had time to settle down since the Final Battle, Avashiro hasn't had much formal training. His powers could be uncontrollable." Hiro scowled at him. Garmadon turned his gaze onto the younger boy. "Besides, The Overlord could want his own son as much as you. Having him with us could be dangerous."

Hiro felt like his blood was boiling when he caught the double meaning behind Garmadon's words — he's dangerous, Lloyd. Let him go. Who did Garmadon think he was, talking about Hiro like he wasn't standing right in front of him? Who was he to say that Hiro couldn't control his powers? He knew nothing.

Hiro looked back at Lloyd, who seemed a little frightened by the fire behind Hiro's eyes. "Actually, Lloyd, I am coming with you. Why wouldn't I?" His eyes settled on Garmadon, who frowned at him. "Someone has to protect you, after all."

Hiro turned back to the team, catching sight of Jay, whose mouth was now hung open, eyes wide as he processed what Hiro had just said. Hiro quickly bit down on his cheek to stop himself from grinning. Had he just made things worse between him and Garmadon? Maybe. Did he feel like a complete badass because of that one liner? Abso-fucking-lutely. Hiro didn't think anything would ever be as satisfying as seeing the surprised, impressed looks on the team's faces.

Lloyd cleared his throat, shaking himself out of his stupor. "What are you guys gonna do? Those Nindroids aren't gonna let you step one foot into the city," he warned.

"We're gonna shut down the power!" Nya said confidently.

The next hour was spent planning, packing, and saying goodbye. Zane programmed the Falcon to show Hiro, Lloyd, and Garmadon to Nya's secret hideout; the Ninja ate the rest of the food that was saved from the afternoon before, regaining their strength. Hiro did his best to avoid Garmadon (and, very reluctantly, Lloyd), but it was difficult to do so when they needed to strategize. They didn't have any vehicles, so they had to travel on foot; from what information Nya reluctantly gave away, the cave was located in the Desert of Doom. It would take them two days to get there on foot. If they left now, they could make it 2/3 of the way there and then rest, continuing their journey in the morning.

An hour later, they were ready to go. Hiro bid goodbye to the rest of the team before going to the edge of the clearing, waiting for Lloyd and Garmadon to join them. He watched Lloyd quickly tell Garmadon something, then run over, a backpack from the monastery slung over his shoulder.

"Hiro," he greeted, looking a little lost. "What is going on with you and my dad?"

Hiro frowned, crossing his arms. "Nothing. What do you mean?" he asked, knowing that Lloyd didn't believe him.

Lloyd frowned. "Do I have to be worried about you two on this mission?" he asked seriously. "I don't want you two to fight."

Hiro stared at him, trying to figure out who Lloyd would leave behind if Hiro told him there was reason to worry — would it be Hiro, who was his friend, but who he hadn't known for very long, or Garmadon, but was his father, but wasn't as powerful as Hiro? Hiro wasn't sure if he wanted Lloyd to make that choice — the answer would either tear Lloyd and his father apart or hurt Hiro in a way that couldn't be fixed. And how could he ask that of Lloyd, to chose between a father and a friend? That wasn't fair.

Just because Hiro knew his answer didn't mean Lloyd did.

He sighed, shaking his head. "No. Whatever issues we have will be put behind us. You're our only concern, okay? I'll be on my best behavior," he promised.

Lloyd smiled, relieved. "And I'll make sure he doesn't imply that you can't control your powers again." Hiro rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh. Lloyd waved at his father to join them, and soon the three were beginning their quest away from the team, heading south to the Desert of Doom.

Which, yeah, what a totally comforting name. This was going to be fun.