TOURNAMENT

7 (Kai)

Burrows Dock had more people than Kai expected. The night was foggy and starless, so it was hard to make out what some of the people looked like. Everyone just looked like misty figures from afar. 

Kai tapped his foot nervously on the wood. The murky water sloshed around the support beams that held up the dock. He looked down. The water was shallow here, but it was dark. It scared him.

Orco always made water look so tranquil and beautiful.

That was, until she used it on an enemy.

"Don't worry," he whispered, softly. "We're gonna get you back."

"Who are you talking to?" 

Kai turned around fast, nearly falling in the water, until Asta's hand caught his. 

"Careful, Airhead. Can't have you looking like a klutz," she said. 

Her eyes glowed like a cat's in the dark, sharp and gold. She put her hands on her hips. "Where are Lloyd and Cole?"

Kai shrugged, and then took notice to something other than her eyes.

Her hair was pulled up half-up and half-down. She wore a red hoodie that stopped just below her waist. She wore black cargo pants and her favorite pair of beat up shoes.

"You look nice," he said.

Asta glanced at him awkwardly. "Whatever. We aren't supposed to look nice. We're supposed to look unsuspecting. And then we absolutely destroy everyone else here."

Kai groaned. "Just say 'thank you.'"

Asta crossed her arms and looked at the crowd. "Thanks. Now, where's Lloyd and Cole?"

There was a stumble. Lloyd had tripped over a crack in one of the wooden planks.

"There he is," Kai snickered.

Cole angled his way through the crowd. He was easily the tallest there, except for one, who seemed a little too big. Maybe that was part of his power. Or maybe it was his giant, black helmet.

"Hi," he said. "Anything happen yet?"

"No," Kai said. "We're all just kind of waiting."

"Lloyd," Asta said. "Did Garmadon or Wu suspect anything? How about Brynn?"

"I didn't see Brynn or Wu," Lloyd explained. "But my dad and I talked for a bit."

"You weren't an idiot were you?" she asked.

Kai rubbed his temples. The girl had zero filter.

"I hope not," Lloyd said quietly, fidgeting with the end of his t-shirt. 

No one said anything else for a moment until there was the sound of a loud horn. 

"What is that?" someone in the crowed piped up.

Asta stood on her tiptoes to see over all the heads. "I can't tell. What are they talking about?"

"It's a boat," Cole said. "It's coming towards the dock. It's almost time, people."

The boat creeped closer and closer to the dock until everyone could see it clearly. Asta parted the wave