S E L C O U T H. || Ninjago

7. Tick Tock.

—KAI: "TEN MINUTES! HE JUST BROKE HIS OWN RECORD. The guy's inhuman!"

Zane is on the ocean floor. He pets a fish...(?) before resurfacing. The ninja cheer for him.

—Cole: "Amazing!"

—Jay: "We're not worthy."

—Zane: "I broke the record?"

—Kai: "You destroyed it!"

—Jay: "Okay, okay. Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking? We've been training for so long, I don't think we can get any better. Just think about all we've accomplished."

—Me: "Have you managed Total Concentration: Constant?"

I walk in from behind Jay.

—Jay: "AHH—!"

—Cole: "[Y/n]... well... We can do it all day... but it's impossible to do it in sleep!!"

—Kai: "Yeah! How are you supposed hold that in sleep!?"

—Me: "You must ask someone to guard your breathing while you sleep. If you stop the Total Breathing Concentration, the person must hit you awake"

They shiver at the thought but nod.

[...]

We were hanging up the Fangblade missing posters.

—Zane: "Oh, this is silly."

—Cole: "You have any better ideas?"

—Jay: "Hey, maybe Sensei is gonna go get the Samurai for help."

—Kai: "The Samurai? I'm sure she's—I mean, he's busy looking for the Fangblades as well."

—Cole: "Uh, is everything all right?"

—Kai: "Yeah, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

—Nya: "One hundred percent. We're not hiding anything."

...

'Seriously?'

Zane suddenly dropped the fliers while looking up.

—Man: "Hey, weirdo. You're making a mess of my store front. Yoo-hoo! You got a problem?"

Zane drops all fliers and runs out. I follow him up.

—Zane: "Where are we going, my mysterious friend?"

I noticed the others are behind so I waited for them to catch up.

[...]

—Zane: "No! It can't be! No! NOOOOOO!!!!!!"

We heard Zane's scream and ran in.

—Kai: "Zane?"

—Jay: "Wow, would you look at this place? Zane, what's wrong?"

—Kai: "Are you hurt?"

—Cole: "You okay?"

I pat his back and he sighs handing us a blue paper.

The papers had drawings of Zane.

—Me: "...what is this?"

Zane then removed his... chest!? It revealed a lot of wires and buttons.

—Kai: "You're a robot!?"

I lean into Jay and whisper.

—Me: "What's a "Robot"?"

—Jay: "It's basically a doll but more advanced in machinery."

—Me: "Ah."

—Zane: "All this time, and I never knew."

—Jay: "Uh, guess this explains why you're always acting so weird. Right? Hehe."

—Zane: "The reason I never had a sense of humor was because my funny switch wasn't on."

He switched it on.

—Zane: "Hello, my baby~ Hello, my honey~ Hello, my ragtime gal~ Send me a kiss by wire~"

I quickly hid behind Jay at the way he was acting. Jay laughed but I was terrified.

—Cole: "Uh, it just makes you more special. You're still the same Zane. Just more, uh, gears."

—Kai: "No matter what you're made of, you're still our brother."

—Zane: "Really?"

—Cole: "In fact, I bet it even makes you an even better ninja."

—Jay: "Yeah, and how cool is it that I can honestly say "My brother is a Nindroid"?"

—Zane: "A Nindroid?"

—Cole: "Now come on. Pythor is still out there looking for the first Fangblade, and we need you."

—Zane: "You'll have to go on without me. I just don't feel right."

The others began to leave but I stayed for a second. I place a hand on his shoulder and whispered.

—Me: "Remember who you are. Not 'what' you are."

I then left as well.

[...]

Once outside we notice another... "robot" which was bronze.

It was moving.

—Robot: "Intruder. Intruder."

Kai: "Oh, great. I think that thing was —supposed to protect this place. Guys, it's up to us. Ninja, g—ugh. Ow!"

—Cole: "There's just too many of them."

We get attacked by Treehorns.

—Zane: "Hey, guys. Wait up!"

He noticed the Treehorns.

—Zane: "Leave my friends alone! Ninja, go!"

I noticed something different in Zane... in his eyes. A new glint. So I decided to sit this battle out.

—Cole: "What's gotten into Zane?"

—Kai: "I don't know, but I like it."

—All: "Ninja, go!"

—Jay: "Are they regrouping? Who's that?"

—Zane: "Their queen. You will not hurt my friends! There is nothing that will hold me back! I don't care WHAT I am because I know WHO I am!"

A light is emitted by him and I smile to myself.

'He found his true potential'

...