The Split Element- Book 1 (Ninjago: Zane X Oc)

The Gift of Jay...

3rd Person POV:

The Ninja were being surrounded by keepers, but they couldn't fight or else they would cause a huge fight which they'd be unable to win. "Lock them up. All but one. The gift." Chief Mammatus ordered. "Which one?" A keeper asked, walking up to Kai and sticking a staff in his face.

Jay quickly came over; making sure his friend wouldn't be hurt. "Guys, is all this really necessary? All the pushing and the poking and the zapping." Jay smiled, poking Kai before turning to Mammatus. "Why don't we start over? Ahem. My name's Jay, nice to meet you!" He held out his hand, but Mammatus just smiled.

"This one."

The keepers suddenly picked Jay from the group, escorting him out of the temple. "Wait, where are you taking him?" Nya asked, concerned, but the remaining Keepers pushed them back. "Hey!" Kai shouted. "Back off!" Cole added as they were taken further and further away from Jay. Nya tried to reach for him, but he was gone.

The now four remaining Ninja were taken bellow the temple and into a cage. They were forcefully Zapped into it, and locked up behind a golden gate. "You're making a big mistake!" Kai shouted, trying to bang on the gate. Let us out of here!" Cole demanded, activating his lava arms while trying to pry the gate open with Zane and Nya's help. But it didn't work, and the Ninja were zapped back into the cage.

"Remind me not to try that again." Cole sighed, just as someone came from behind them. "Nya? Kai?" The Ninja looked up, and found Misako and Wu in with them. "Misako!" Nya gasped. "Are you all okay?" The woman asked, helping the Ninja back up. "Yeah, we're okay." Nya confirmed. "How about you guys?" Cole wondered. "Yes, we're fine." Wu told them. "They've treated us pretty well, all in all." Misako admitted, just as someone started talking.

"I've been in quicksand that was more comfortable." The Ninja turned to see Clutch Powers sat on a young boy, complaining. "Dwayne! How's that tunnel coming along?" Clutch shouted, just as a small boy came out of a very shallow hole in the wall. "My hands hurt." He told him, but Clutch was uninterested.

"Why are they doing this? What do they want?" Nya asked, hoping the others would know. "It has something to do with some artefact they seem to be protecting. I believe they think we were trying to steal it." Misako told them, which brought up a question. "Were you trying to steal it?" Cole sighed, turning to Clutch who immediately started defending himself.

"How dare you! I'm an archaeologist, not a thief." He shouted, but the others weren't buying it. "I study, and I, uh, bring back. To my place. To study some more." Clutch tried to justify his ways, but it was still classified as stealing.

"Where are Lloyd, Jay and Aly?" Misako asked, noticing their absences. "Lloyd managed to get away. He's out there somewhere. Aly went to look for danger when we were captured, so we don't know where she is." Kai sighed. "And Jay, they took somewhere else." "What for?" Wu wondered. "We don't know. But I have a terrible feeling something bad is gonna happen to him." Nya spoke up, worried. "They referred to him as a gift. I am unsure why." Zane added.

"From my observation, the islanders aren't actually hostile, just protective. I don't believe they want to hurt us." Misako pointed out. "Hopefully we won't be here long enough to find out. If I know Lloyd, right about now, he's finding a way to rescue us." Kai sighed, hoping he would come. "And hopefully, if Aly is still out there, she'll be able to help us." Zane added, worried for her.

"Zane, have you tried contacting Aly?" Wu asked, and Zane looked at his hands. "Yes, but something seems to have been interfering and I cannot reach her." He sighed. "Well we'll just have to trust that she can find Lloyd." Misako sighed.

Aly's POV:

I kept running through the jungle, unsure of where I was going. My leg still ached, but there wasn't much I could do except run from the creatures.