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CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SEE YOU IN A MINUTE

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NYA IS THE ONE WHO found him, sitting behind a tree with his head in his hands and blood running down his arms, appearing from the places he'd dug his nails into his arms to ground himself back to reality. She was quiet as she helped him back to the monastery, she was silent as she cleaned his wounds in a room separate from the others, she barely looked at him as she handed him a cup of tea and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Hiro sat on a cot in what could be considered the nurse's office of the monastery, silently eating, ignoring how irritated his eyes were from crying.

Nya had walked out minutes ago, but she came back soon, holding another sandwich. Hiro wrinkled his nose. "It's just peanut butter this time," she said, and even though her voice was soft, it felt like she was shouting through the silence. She set the plate on a counter within Hiro's reach. "I haven't told the others about that," she added, nodding to his arms, which were wrapped in white bandages. Hiro frowned, putting down his plate to pull down his sleeves. "When this is all over, you and I are going to find you a good therapist, and you're going to talk to someone. I know it isn't easy, Shiro, but please, you can't keep destroying yourself like this."

He'd never heard Nya sound so scared.

He shrugged. "Yeah. We'll see," he muttered, and that was the end of that.

When he was done eating, he and Nya returned to the main room. Hiro stubbornly avoided eye contact with everyone who shot him worried looks, sitting down beside the table the computer was perched on. "So what's next?" he asked, crossing his arms. "How are we getting them back down?"

Wu and Nya shared a look. "We . . . don't know," Wu confessed.

"You don't know?" Hiro demanded. Pixal handed him his headphones back and Hiro put them on, hearing what sounded like fighting on the Ninja's side. ". . . Hello?" he asked.

"Hiro!" Lloyd said in relief. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Don't worry about it," Hiro dismissed, ignoring the displeased sound Lloyd made in protest. "What's going on? Have you guys figured out a way to get back?"

"If we figured out a way back, do you really think we'd still be on this comet?" Kai snapped. Hiro rolled his eyes. "These bugs just keep coming! And we are going nowhere!" he exclaimed, groaning. Hiro could hear the distinct sound of fire in the background and assumed Kai was using his powers to fight off the parasite.

Jay groaned. "Nya, there's no way we're getting off this planet. Any last words, my darling?" he asked.

"How about, 'It was always you, Cole. I won't be able to carry on without you,'" Cole suggested. Hiro facepalmed.

"Can you stop with your pissing contest?" he snapped, making the two go quiet. "She's not an object and neither of you are as appealing as you think you are, get over yourselves and focus on the fact that you might die instead of the fact that neither of you are worth her time!" Hiro knew he was just taking out his frustration on the two of them — but it was somewhat rightfully deserved, considering Jay and Cole seemed more focused on competing with each other for Nya's heart than, oh, you know, the fact that they were stuck on a comet.

". . . Someone had to say it," Kai muttered.

Nya shook her head, exasperated. "Now is not the time for that! Can't I care for both of you? Now just don't give up," she ordered. Hiro wondered how long it would be until she dropped both boys, who truly weren't deserving of her time, if Hiro was being honest.

"My dad was right," Lloyd spoke up. "I should've never given up my Golden Power. We could have all been home. Now the Overlord has all he needs to become the Golden Master!" At the mention of his father, Hiro felt a bad taste in his mouth. He took a deep breath, trying to subdue the feeling of nausea that made his stomach twist. This wasn't about him, this was about Lloyd. Lloyd was the one that the Overlord wanted, not Hiro. Lloyd's power was what gave power to the Golden Master. In his father's eyes, Hiro was worthless, nothing more than a pawn or something to taunt when he needed to feel the thrill of upsetting someone.

"Don't say that," Garmadon protested, bringing Hiro back ot reality. "I was wrong. You must trust your friends. Trust yourself," he told Lloyd.

"They've returned with the Golden Weapons. It's only a matter of time," Pixal announced. She and Misako were watching the news on a small screen. Hiro hesitated, then walked over. The Nindroids were landing on the top of Borg Tower with a chunk of bright, brilliant gold that most definitely was whatever was left of the Golden Weapons. Hiro watched the screen with an upset expression, so Misako ushered him back over to Wu, Garmadon, and Nya, knowing he didn't need to see this at the moment.

It was clear to Hiro that he had missed pieces of an important brainstorming session. "What about your green power, Lloyd?" Kai suggested.

"It's too far. He'd never be able to keep his focus that long," Zane protested. Hiro noted that his voice was the only one that didn't sound like a static echo.

If Hiro had been with the team, would he have been able to help? He didn't think so. He didn't have powers that could help them all get home from space. But that didn't mean Hiro was relieved that he was stuck on Earth, because the team needed help. Lloyd needed help. Hiro didn't want to sit still and wait for help to come from someone else.

Cole sighed. "No one happens to have a build-your-own-rocket-kit handy, do they?" he asked.

Lloyd chuckled, catching Hiro's attention. "That's it!" he exclaimed.

"You have a build-your-own-rocket-kit?" Jay questioned excitedly. Hiro ran his hands over his face, tired.

"No, but we can make one. Arcturus may not fly, but she'll give us all the metal we need. And Zane knows this solar system better than anyone," Lloyd explained, the beginnings of a halfway decent plan coming together, making Hiro feel only slightly more relieved. He didn't exactly think the Ninja were idiots, per say, though sometimes he couldn't be sure — it's just that, well, Zane and Pixal were the only ones that Hiro trusted to be able to build a rocket that would keep someone safe in space. Maybe Jay and Nya could design the blueprints, but other than them, well, Hiro wasn't exactly over the moon with confidence over five teenagers building a rocket (if Zane counted as a teenager).

"And Kai's Fire could weld the missing parts," Zane jumped in.

"Cole's manpower could do all the heavy lifting!" Kai added.

"Jay has enough electricity and nerd knowledge to make a halfway believable spacecraft," Cole teased.

Jay chuckled, then scoffed. "Hey!" He went quiet for a moment. "Hey. This could actually work," he realized.

Hiro opened his mouth to protest — there were several things that could go wrong, and he didn't even know how to build a spaceship — but was silenced by a look that Nya shot him. Hiro sighed, sinking down in his chair. With Nya and Pixal instructing them, the Ninja got to work on building a new spaceship to bring the boys home.

"Hiro," Lloyd spoke up. "Can you switch to a different channel? Channel seven?" he asked. Hiro frowned.

"Sure," he agreed, taking off his headphones to find the separate channel Lloyd wanted him in. After a moment of looks thrown his way, Hiro got up and headed out of the room, wanting a bit of privacy. He stayed close enough to the computer so that he could talk to Lloyd without issue, but far enough away that the others didn't hear the conversation. Hiro cleared his throat. "What's up?" he asked.

"Are you okay?" Lloyd questioned.

". . . What?"

"You ran off earlier. No one could find you, they checked the whole monastery . . . I was getting worried," Lloyd admitted.

Hiro scoffed. "I'm fine, whatever. Are you okay?" he asked.

"Hiro," Lloyd warned. Hiro fell silent. ". . . Do you remember what you said to me when this all began?" Lloyd asked softly. Hiro tilted his head. "You promised that when this was all over — and it will be over — that we're going to take a break. We're going to disappear and catch up on my favorite comics, and I'm going to introduce you to my favorite movies. No distractions. No awards. No being a hero. Just junk food and comic books," Lloyd reminded him. Hiro nodded, lowering his eyes to the ground. He remembered.

"We'll disappear for a week," Hiro said.

He could almost see Lloyd's smile. "Can this be the part where things start to get better?"

Hiro didn't have the energy to laugh. "I'll be okay. Will you be?"

"With you cheering for me? More than okay," Lloyd teased. Hiro chuckled, feeling heat crawling up his neck. "I'll get back to the others. Do me a favor and eat something, okay?" he requested. Hiro nodded, making a noise of agreement under his breath, even though he had no intention of following through. He'd eaten only ten minutes ago. But he'd rather not have Lloyd worry even more than he probably already was.

It didn't feel fair. Lloyd was the one trapped in space with a high chance of dying, and yet he was worried about Hiro. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

"See you in a minute," Lloyd said.

Hiro smiled grimly. "See you in a minute," he echoed.

While Hiro and Lloyd had been talking, the team had been working on a rocket to take the Ninja home. Hiro rejoined the Earth group back in the training room, sitting down in his chair and listening to Pixal and Nya instruct the team on how to build the rocket well enough that it would hold together long enough for the trip back to Earth. Misako kept her attention on the news surrounding Borg Tower, and after a few minutes of boredly waiting for the time to pass, Hiro rolled over in his chair and joined her.

After the Nindroids had landed with the metal from the Golden Weapons, everything had gone radio silent. There was nothing to be seen from Borg Tower, the new home base of the Overlord and his minions. Hiro wondered who was recording the footage he and Misako were viewing now, and he halfway hoped that they were doing okay and out of harm's way.

"Let's fire this thing up and see if she'll fly," Kai announced, catching Hiro's attention. Hiro and Misako moved back to the main group around the computer.

"Boosters?" Lloyd prompted. Check. "Electronics?" Check. "Navigation?" Check. "How are we holding together?" Bubblegum and a wish. "Let's go home, fellas." Anxiety settled in Hiro's stomach, making him feel ill. If this didn't work, there was nothing anyone could do. The Ninja would die in space, the city would fall to the Golden Master, and Hiro . . . would be completely, utterly useless. What good was he if he couldn't even fight his own father to save a city?

"They have lift off!" Nya cheered, bringing Hiro out of his pity party. He smiled, a quick quirk of his lips as everyone cheered before the smile fell away, his mind still anxious.

Hiro rolled back over to the TV. The camera had moved, someone running through the street of Ninjago, ducking behind buildings to get some shaky footage of what was happening in the city. Hiro frowned as he caught a flash of something glinting in the sunlight. There was no audio on the TV, so he had no idea what was happening to make the cameraman so afraid. The cameraman continued to run until they came to a full stop, raising the camera.

Adorned with golden skeletal armor and a black helmet, with bright red and purple eyes, was a black and purple, human-like figure. But Hiro knew that it wasn't a human — the Overlord had achieved a physical form, and was now terrorizing the streets of Ninjago.

And Hiro couldn't do a damn thing about it.

( BIRTHRIGHT — REBOOTED )

It took about an hour for the Ninja to get close enough to Earth that Pixal began coordinating catching points, starting up the Ninja's vehicles and sending them out into the world so they would have enough time to reach the Ninja. It was agreed that Lloyd would use his power to form his own vehicle, since they didn't have one prepared for him, which Hiro was miffed about — he couldn't even ride back into the city with Lloyd?

Hiro brushed off his irritation, focusing on the task at hand. The team had left the monastery after Pixal — Nya in her Samurai suit, Wu, Garmadon, and Hiro in the Proto Sam-X. Wu took over driving, allowing Hiro to sit in the back comfortably, with Garmadon on the outside. Nya ran alongside the car as Wu drove down the road, hoping to reach the meeting point that Pixal had calculated would be best suited to meet at.

"Hold on, we're almost there," Cole announced.

"My power source has reached critical mass," Zane jumped in. "It appears my unlimited energy is in fact limited."

Hiro furrowed his eyebrows, confused by what some of those words meant. "Critical mass? Like, it's gonna blow up?" Jay asked worriedly, which was enough of an explanation for Hiro to begin chewing his bottom lip in worry.

"Don't worry about me. I must use my power to hold our vessel together," Zane said, which just made Hiro panic more. Zane . . . Zane was his friend, if Hiro was allowed to call him that. Zane understood him in a way no one else did, and now he might die to save the others? Hiro knew there was a risk to being a Ninja, to being part of this team, but he didn't know that death was an option for the others. It always felt like Hiro was on the verge of meeting with Lady Death, but the others? He'd never imagined that they would die before him.

"No way, Zane. Entering the atmosphere means we have air," Lloyd protested. "With just enough air, we can now support our elemental shields. Let's try, guys!" he encouraged. Hiro, for as much as he appreciated Lloyd, did not find that to be a smart idea. The Ninja hadn't trained with their elemental shields in weeks, and to try using them while flying down to Earth at incredibly high speeds felt like a suicide mission. But if it was the best chance the Ninja had at safely getting to Earth without Zane dying in the process, then Hiro would bite his tongue and move on.

Thankfully, the elemental shields worked, and the Ninja flew down to Earth, safe. Well, almost safe, that is. In took a few minutes of them flying down for a problem to arise.

"I hate to bring this up now, but parachutes would've come in handy!" Cole yelled over the wind rushing into his mic.

"Friends and family make a good substitute!" Kai called back.

"Coordinating catch. Be on the lookout. Kai, go for 56 degrees north, 12 east," Pixal ordered before relaying off coordinates to the others that Hiro couldn't comprehend. It amazed him that this was just how she thought — sure, Hiro understood what being a robot meant, having a higher intelligence than most, if not all humans, but he couldn't grasp what that must feel like, to have your mind going a million miles a second, calculating all the odds of a bad situation in the blink of an eye. Hiro wanted to have that kind of intellect. At the same time, he was scared of it.

The Ninja all landed in their vehicles, and soon enough the Proto Sam-X joined Pixal, the Ninja, and Nya on the road leading into Ninjago, surrounded by mountains. This was the place that the dragon had attacked Hiro, Lloyd, and Garmadon, Hiro realized, trying to shake off the bad feeling the memory gave him. Hiro perked up in his seat, ignoring the sharp pain in his side, and looked around at the team.

Lloyd had stopped in front of the Proto Sam-X. The blond turned his head and gave Hiro a relieved smile that Hiro returned in earnest, feeling like he could breath for the first time in days. The smile fell away when Lloyd turned around again, eyes set on the city that was looking less like a city and more like a cluster of buildings encircling Borg Tower.

"I have the city in my sights," Zane said. The glow from the lights that emitted from the circle reminded Hiro of his father's spirit trapped in the Digiverse, purple, red, and orange lighting, which would usually be so beautiful, giving Hiro a nasty feeling.

"City? That's not a city, that's an impenetrable fortress!" Jay exclaimed.

"Behind that wall, the Golden Master has the power of the First Spinjitzu Master," Garmadon said gravely.

"And we're about to charge in with no plan or backup," Hiro muttered.

"Very encouraging, Shiro, thank you," Jay groaned.

On the screens of every vehicle, an image of Cyrus appeared. Hiro perked up, leaning forward to watch the message with the rest of the team following suit. "Ninja, if you get this message, I've managed to escape and have found refuge within the Temple of Fortitude here in the city," Cyrus told them. Hiro's brows furrowed. "If you can make it here alive, I think I have a device that could defeat the Overlord. I look forward to seeing you here, Ninja. Stay safe." The image of Cyrus disappeared, leaving a black screen behind.

"Temple of Fortitude?" Kai asked hesitantly.

"The Overlord built a stronghold during the Stone Wars," Hiro explained, recognizing the name. "He always talked about how it had a powerful seal of protection against the power of the First Spinjitzu Master. He and the Stone Army often used it as a hideout during the Stone Wars when the Golden Power was too much to fight against."

"You know your history," Wu said appreciatively.

"Well, when it's family history," Hiro muttered, not proud of the fact that he had this knowledge.

"We have to get to that Temple. Everyone, stay together," Lloyd ordered. The team took off, everyone making a b-line for the city. Hiro sat back in his seat, the pressure of moving so fast making his stomach flip. With so many vehicles in such close quarters, Hiro could feel the sound vibrating his skull, overwhelming him, but he didn't voice his discomfort. Now wasn't the time to be comfortable. When they all made it to the Temple of Fortitude alive, that's when he would take a moment to breath.

They got closer to the city, the towering buildings ahead casting shadows against the road ahead.

"Kai. You, Nya, and Zane take the high road. We'll make our own road," Lloyd said, driving to the side. Kai, Nya, and Zane took off for the sky as Pixal, Cole, Jay, Lloyd, and the Proto Sam-X continued to head along the road. Lloyd disappeared on his bike through a broken window in one of the buildings, while Cole busted through the wall of a parking garage in another and let the others drive through.

Hiro gripped the back of Wu's seat tightly as the older man stepped on the gas, driving through the chaos of the city with ease that Hiro wouldn't be able to copy. His grip was white-knuckle on the metal back, face pale. Fast cars — add that to the list of things he was afraid of, a seemingly never ending pile of practically normal things that everyone faced.

"The Temple's up ahead," Wu announced, glancing back at Hiro and Garmadon.

"Eyes on the road!" Hiro snapped. Wu let out an amused chuckle, looking back at the road.

"—Nya's down! I repeat, Nya's down!" Kai announced.

"I'm going back for her," Cole jumped in.

"No, I'll go back!" Jay argued.

"Go back, and our probability to make it to the Temple exponentially diminishes," Zane protested.

"This isn't about numbers, Zane, it's about family!" Kai snapped. For once, Kai and Hiro were in agreement. They couldn't leave Nya behind.

"Everyone else head to the Temple, we'll go pick up Nya!" Lloyd ordered, referring to himself and Pixal. Wu continued driving to the Temple, making Hiro feel trapped. He wanted to help, he needed to help. He couldn't just sit back and let the Ninja do all the work. Hiro was half tempted to jump out of the car and run to meet one of the Ninja — hell, even Kai — somewhere close by for a pick-up, just to be there to help.

"I've got her. She's on the corner of Bradley Boulevard and—" Kai's voice cut out, making Hiro sit up and frown.

"We need to go get them," he pleaded.

Wu shook his head. "They know where to meet us. If we go back for them, none of us will get to the Temple." He gave Hiro a grave look, and Hiro was too curious to tell Wu to pay attention to the road. "I hope you're up for possibly being Ninjago's last hope, Avashiro. Because if the Ninja don't return, you will have to face your father." Wu turned his eyes back onto the road, leaving Hiro to sit with that information for the remainder of the journey.

Wu parked the Proto Sam-X outside of the Temple of Fortitude. Cyrus was waiting for them at the top of the stairs.

"Where are the Ninja?" he asked.

"Held up," Garmadon said simply. "Wu and I will man the doors. Avashiro, you go with Borg and wait inside." Hiro didn't know what he was supposed to feel from those words — wa Garmadon concerned for him, or did he want Hiro out of the way? Knowing their relationship, it was most likely the latter.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know Lloyd is safe," Hiro argued.

"He's right, Avashiro, you need to get to safety. You could be our last hope," Wu reminded him.

"Stop talking about the Ninja like they're dead!" Hiro snapped.

Before either of the men could respond, the ground began shaking beneath their feet. Hiro turned his gaze from Wu to the city, where a large, bright, golden tornado was heading straight for the Temple. He took a step back, then shook his head. "The Ninja—"

"Go!" Garmadon ordered. Hiro hesitated, then took a few more steps back before turning and running inside, his hands shaking.

This could be their final stand. Was he really ready to face his father?

The sound of creaking wood got Hiro's attention. He turned around and saw Wu and Garmadon beginning to close the doors, but before he could protest, Cyrus grabbed his attention by calling him over to a table across the room worriedly. Hiro sighed and headed for the inventor.

"I must explain to you the plan," Cyrus told him.

"But the Ninja—"

"Aren't here yet," Cyrus cut in.

Hiro could feel tears of frustration brimming his eyes. He wasn't ready to be a savior. He wasn't a hero. He couldn't save the city, not without Lloyd. Not without the Ninja.

"Brother, now!" Wu called out, the sound of the doors slamming following seconds after.

It was a few seconds later that a loud, harsh, "NO!" shook the ground beneath Hiro's feet, his legs going weak as he heard his father's voice.

"Hiro!"

Hiro spun around, eyes widening. "Lloyd?" he whispered.

The Ninja were alive.

Lloyd's arms wrapped tightly around Hiro's smaller frame, picking the dark-haired boy up and spinning him around. Hiro buried his face into the fabric of Lloyd's uniform, his arms wrapped tightly around Lloyd's neck as Lloyd set him back down so his feet touched the flood. They stayed like that for a few minutes, wrapped in each other's embrace — Hiro had a million things he wanted to say, and Lloyd almost spoke up a few times, but both decided to remain silence, enjoying being in the other's arms for a brief moment before having to face the reality of their situation once more.

The doors were closed, and, for a brief moment, surrounded by allies and friends, Hiro understood the meaning of comfort.