Ninjago:Rising

CHAPTER FOUR

Jay spent most of his days in his lab. It was his sanctuary, his little corner of the world where he could be himself—an inventor, a creator, and, hopefully someday, a superhero. It might have sounded silly, but everyone had dreams, right? His just happened to involve saving the world.

Today was like any other day, except it wasn't. Jay was knee-deep in wires and circuits, his workbench cluttered with half-finished gadgets, tools, and parts. The latest project on his mind was a pair of electric gauntlets—something he'd been tinkering with for weeks. They were supposed to channel electrical currents safely, allowing the wearer to manipulate electricity. Jay figured that if he could master this, it would be a pretty cool step toward becoming the hero he always dreamed of being.

As he soldered the last wire into place, he couldn't help but think about Nya. She was always there, in the back of his mind. Who wouldn't be distracted by someone like her? She was smart, tough, and way out of his league, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to impress her, show her that he was more than just the geeky kid with his head stuck in a computer screen.

Lost in his thoughts, Jay didn't notice the tiny spark jumping from his soldering iron to the gauntlet until it was too late. "Damn it!" he yelped, jerking his hand back. The spark danced across the table, and before he knew it, all the lights in the lab started flickering like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

"What the hell?" he muttered, glancing around. His computer screen flickered, showing static for a split second before returning to normal. Then, without any warning, his phone buzzed violently on the desk, its screen flashing bright blue before going dark.

A strange sensation began building inside him—a tingling feeling, like when your foot falls asleep but much stronger. It started in his fingers and spread up his arms, then down his spine, making every hair on his body stand on end. He looked at his hands, and to his shock, he saw tiny bolts of electricity dancing between his fingers.

"No way," he whispered, staring in disbelief. "This can't be real."

But it was real. As real as the gadgets on his workbench and the posters on his walls. The lights continued to flicker erratically, and he could feel the energy inside him growing, like a storm that was about to break loose.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but the electricity only intensified. Panic set in as he realized he had no idea how to control this. He could destroy his entire lab—or worse, hurt himself.

"Okay, Jay, think," he said aloud, trying to steady his breathing. "You've trained for this. Well, not exactly this, but you've got this. Just... breathe."

He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, trying to will the electricity to stop. Slowly, the lights began to stabilize, the buzzing in his phone quieted, and the tingling sensation faded. When he finally opened his eyes, the lab was still, and the electricity in his hands had disappeared.

He let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Okay, what just happened?"

He glanced around the lab, his eyes landing on the electric gauntlets he'd been working on. "Could it be...?" He grabbed them, slipping them on cautiously. The metal was cool against his skin, and he felt a slight hum as they powered up. Maybe, just maybe, these could help him control whatever was happening.

With the gauntlets on, he flexed his fingers, and to his surprise, he saw tiny arcs of electricity jump between them again. But this time, it wasn't out of control. It was like the gauntlets were channeling the energy, focusing it. He moved his hand toward a metal screwdriver on the bench, and a small bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips, striking it dead center.