4. Dark Sides: Rise of the Anacondrai

Chapter 5 - Tock

A/N: Gore warning! It really depends on whether you consider robot injuries and fake blood very gory. I did cringe while writing it, but it's up to you whether or not to skip it. Asterisks* to tell you when to stop and start reading.

. . .

Zane's buggy sped through the undergrowth at the head of the ground team. They were following a dirt path that had already been carved through the jungle, trailing the Roto Jet overhead. But the dirt path was ill-used, and the buggy bumped along at an uneven run. Zane hardly noticed and moved swiftly through the jungle, his eyes fixed ahead as he anticipated every turn and every obstacle.

He had just one goal in mind: find Chen. Zane knew it was silly, but he felt that, if they managed to capture Chen, it would put an end to all their problems. He could hardly fathom just how far the mission had strayed from Master Wu's original directive. None of this was supposed to happen.

They had been given an easy enough task, but Master Chen's unpredictable nature had made things that much more complicated. But it was more than that. Zane just wanted to get away from this island, to get away from all the lies and confusion that had started since they came here. Maybe then things could go back to the way they were before. 

At this point, the search party must have been about an hour's drive from the palace, so it came as a relief when Nya's voice finally broke through the buggy's radio.

"Guys! Neuro found Skylor!"

A chorus of shocked voices drowned each other out with questions of "What?' and "Where?" After they all died down, Neuro spoke to confirm.

"It's her alright, but she seems to be in trouble. Her thoughts are heightened with fear. She's distant and I can't quite get a lock on her location yet. She's northwest somewhere."

Zane hit the gas and swerved before Seliel even gave the order.

"We'll head in that direction and hopefully get close enough so you can get a more precise reading."

"We may not have time for subtlety," Garmadon informed the group. "But we're fully armed and we know Chen is lacking in numbers, so don't hesitate to engage as soon as you see them."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Kai said.

Now everyone was headed for the northern side of the island. The jungle flora flashed by Zane as he sped on as fast as the buggy would allow. In the mirrors he could see that Kai and Pixal were starting to fall behind. But he didn't slow, because he didn't want this chance to escape him.

Zane had tried to be patient, but he was ready to put a stop to this madness and finally leave the cursed island once and for all. He had this fantastic hope that once it was over, Wu would be able to return to provide them with guidance once again. They could forget this whole disaster of a tournament, he could forget about his numerous failures, and most of all, he wouldn't have to listen to –

"Be careful Zane," came Pixal's voice through the comms. "At this speed you cannot accurately analyze approaching obstacles."

Zane's grip tightened on the wheel. His reflexes were quick, quicker than most. Although the path through the jungle was overgrown from lack of use, it wasn't enough to stop him. Shouldn't she want him to hurry so that they could find her friend?

"I'm fine," he argued. "And in any case, there's no time for caution. We have to –"

At that moment something caught the buggy's wheel and Zane was tossed from the car. He hit the ground, landing hard on his arm. Branches snapped as he tumbled through the brush until he came to a stop, lying breathless on his back. 

Disoriented, Zane tried to push himself to his feet. But a sharp ache spasmed through his arm and he staggered. His foot slipped on the edge of a cliff he hadn't realized he was on, and the next second he was falling again, tumbling down a rocky incline.

The earth met his back and Zane groaned. This time, he hesitated before standing. The ground around him was smooth, and he appeared to be in some sort of cavern underground. Sitting up, he felt for his golden shuriken and found that it was still at its place on his belt.

Zane carefully got to his feet. Sunlight poured in through the hole overhead. He looked down at his forearm and saw that the sharp, stinging pain was caused by a gash slit through his skin. The sleeve of his gi had been torn right through, and now the black fabric was growing an even darker stain.

He heard engines drawing near and looked up. The wide opening above his head poured sunlight into the shallow cavern where he now found himself, but he couldn't make out anything from where he stood.

He heard Kai's voice call out, "Zane!"

"I'm fine," he reassured him. "Carry on the mission without me!"

Then came Pixal's voice, "I am fully equipped with fundamental medical capabilities. I should be able to treat him."

"I'm alright, really," Zane said hurriedly. "Both of you should go, you can come back for me once you've found Chen and helped Skylor.

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Kai said, "Alright, but we're coming right back for you."

Zane listened as their engines revved and they took off again. All the rumbling and whirring of the search party lessened and faded away, until the world above was silent, save for the rustling leaves of the jungle. He let out a deep sigh. He was alone, now.

Looking down, Zane studied the wound. Blood was starting to drip from his forearm, but he did nothing to stop it. 

For a moment he stared at his arm, a battle of fear and curiosity taking place within him. Above, a slight breeze rustled through the trees, stirring them up once more. Birds began chirping, the sounds of wildlife returning now that the raging, rumbling vehicles had gone. But as life slowly crept back into the forest, the slow, cautious return seemed to Zane as if the rest of the world were as hesitant as he was.

The blood around the wound was drying now. He knew he couldn't wait any longer.

Zane tore the fabric of his gi above his elbow and used it to wipe away some of the blood. Then he removed his sash and tore it into more strips in case he needed it. Part of him hoped he would.

He took a deep breath. No more stalling.

**Carefully, Zane separated the skin on either side of the cut. He was never one to recoil at the sight of blood or even the most grisly of medical procedures, but now he could swear that he felt his stomach flip as he wormed a couple of fingers inside. He couldn't see much as fresh blood welled up, but he could feel his fingers touch lines like cords. It didn't hurt like he thought it would.

It had stung at first when he felt his arm cut open, but now the pain had all but vanished. Now there was just a dull tingle to tell him that his arm was less than okay.

As if that wasn't enough to answer his questions, Zane worked his way in enough that his finger touched something hard. Taking another deep breath, he made sure to step beneath the light pouring through the hole above and held his arm closer. He separated his fingers, just enough to get a glimpse inside.

A flash of light blinded him and he jumped, jerking his fingers out. Zane stumbled backwards and collided with the wall of the pit. He found that he was breathing heavily , and he could swear that his heart was hammering in his chest, he could have sworn his life on it.

**But there was no denying what he had seen. That glint of light had proven it. When he had pulled back the skin and exposed the wound, the sun had reflected off of what lie underneath.

Metal.

. . .

A/N: And with that, we'll have to leave Zane stranded in a hole... welp, see you guys next week!