I Always Wished

Chapter 5

***(Jay's POV)***

I never imagined I'd be fighting alongside Kai Smith again, but here I am saving his bacon once more. He's a jerk for how he's treated Nya, but given that they are family, I guess I'm kind of obligated to save him.

Plus, regardless of what he's done, we're still brothers. He's covered my mishaps before, and now I guess I'll have to rescue him from a stupid decision of his own.

As the android casts a blow at Kai, he manages to dodge the robot's flying fist with a roll to the side. I take the spare moment in which the android is distracted to make a running leap for its back.

Three...

Two...

One.

I launch myself into a jump, springing onto the android's back and looping my arms around its neck. I quickly search for some sort of power switch. I mean, since Zane has one, it makes sense that this guy would too, right? Maybe it's just one of Borg's inventions gone wrong?

"Wha- Jay?" Kai asks from the ground.

Not taking my eyes off my work, I feel a smirk twist my lips. "To your rescue, mi'lady. How's the weather down there?"

He sputters. "You – what are you doing here?!"

"Saving you, obviously." I find a panel on the back of the robot and try to get a grip on it, then rip it open, exposing a host of wires.

"Aww, nuts," I groan. "What am I supposed to do with all this?"

"Enemy...detected," the creature rumbles, raising one clumsy arm up to swat me off.

I lean toward the android's other side. "You'll have to do better than that to take me out, buddy. Now, how do I turn you off?"

Suddenly, the robot pulses with energy and swivels downward toward the ground. I latch onto its neck for dear life as it pounds both its fists into the ground, sending shockwaves through the pavement.

"Eesh!" I cry. "Okay, new plan: I'll just turn you off manually!" I stuff my hand inside the panel off wires and sift through them with nimble fingers, trying to get hold of a happy-colored one as the whole android vibrates. And by happy-colored, I mean a nice green or blue one that means the bot will turn off.

Beside me, I hear an awful noise that sounds kind of like a building could soon be falling on my wife.

Crap.

"How are our partygoers, Nya?" I call, keeping all panic from my voice as I frantically search for the proper wire.

"Almost out!" I hear her tense voice yell. "Just give me a minute more, and I'll be over to help!"

"I think I've got this covered!" I reassure her. "But get out from under there before that thing collapses! We don't have much time!"

"I know that, Jay!" she yells back, stress lacing her tone.

I manage to find a green wire. Rubbing my thumb and forefinger together, I place them around the wire and pull.

I see sparks pop, and the android's whole body surges with electricity. My own elemental power stirs within me at the feeling, and I try to absorb as much of it as I can. Heaven knows what would happen if someone else experienced this much of a shock.

Someone like...

Kai?!

As the android's form folds, I see Kai running for the robot. I assume he thinks he can help out, but –