Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 23- The wait of readiness

K A I

I sat at the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall. I was so bored I was counting the cracks that ran along the ceiling. The ache in my chest hadn't stopped- every breath felt like I was dragging in shards of glass.

The bandages Zane had wrapped around me earlier in the week were stiff and tight, and no matter how tightly I clenched my fists or bit my lip, the pain was constant. It didn't stop, it was just a gnawing reminder of what happened.

But worse, much worse than the physical pain was my stupid emotions. I felt so fucking helpless. The silence. The waiting. The boredom. Jay was out there, suffering, and I was resting in bed. I'm useless. Pathetic.

And the fact that Lloyd, Nya and Zane were out there risking their lives to get that mirror wasn't helping. I was stuck here. Doing nothing. Helping no one.

The sharp sound of a drill echoed through the monastery halls, snapping me out of my thoughts. The sound was rhythmic, constant- tools onto steel, the low hum of machinery.

Pixal. And Cole, by the low groans of frustration that could be heard.

I sighed, carefully getting to my feet, one hand tenderly pressed against my ribs. Every moment, no matter how little, sent a fiery jolt through my torso, but anything was better than sitting in the quiet. Maybe some company would take my mind off of... everything.

The sounds grew louder as I slowly made my way down the stairs. Cole's deep groans soon turned into whiny complaints, and the sound of drills became even more persistent. When I finally made my way to the workshop, I paused at the doorway.

Pixal and Cole were hunched over a workbench, an odd collection of half assembled parts strewn across the table. Wu sat a few feet away, observing them with a curious glance.

Pixal was focused, her green eyes glowing brightly and her movements precise as she worked on what looked like a small, glowing drone. Its sleek, silver frame pulsed faintly with blue light, and wires trailed out messily from its core.

Cole was on the right of her, swearing profusely as he cradled his burnt hand.
"I told you not to touch it, Cole." Pixal scolded, giving him a disapproving glare.

He muttered a half hearted insult before looking away.

I lent against the doorframe, my ribs protesting from the movement. "What are you guys making?" My voice came out raspier than I'd intended, but it got their attention.

Cole glanced over first, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Kai! Good to see you dude, but shouldn't you be resting?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well resting wasn't exactly helping." My gaze made its way back to the mysterious object in Pixar's hands. "So, what is this?"

I limped across the room to get a better look, trying to hide the grimace on my face. Each step sent a dull throb through my chest, but I ignored it.

Pixal straightened, moving her hand so I could get a better look. "You shouldn't be moving around so much, Kai." She said, her tone firm but not unkind.

"Yeah, yeah. Noted," I muttered, easing myself into a chair across from them. "So? What are you building?"

Wu answered, his voice low and serious. "We are.. preparing for the worst."

My stomach twisted. "The worst?"

Pixal gestured to the machine she was working on. "This is a proximity scanner." She explained. "It's designed to detect elemental energy- specifically designed for Jay. If he returns when the others haven't yet returned, then we'll know about it. Before he gets too close and it's too late."

Cole set down his screwdriver, looking at my disapproving expression. "I don't like it either man, but it's got to be done. It's the only way to keep us safe. To keep you safe."

My chest tightened, but not from the pain this time. "You really think it's going to come to that?"

No one answered immediately. The room felt heavier, the faint hum of the machine suddenly too loud in the silence. Wu finally spoke, his voice steady but somber. "We hope it doesn't. But hope alone will not protect us."

Pixal adjusted one of the trackers wires, her expression almost.. ashamed. "This scanner will allow us to track Jays location in real time, but only if he's in 5000m radius of our location. It doesn't give us much time, but at least it's something."

"If we have an early warning," Cole continued. "We can plan our next moves carefully."

I swallowed hard, staring at the machine. It looked harmless enough, but the thought of using it to monitor Jay—to treat him like a threat—made my stomach churn. "And what if he—" I stopped, not sure I wanted to finish the thought.

"What if he doesn't come back?" Cole asked quietly, finishing the question for me. His voice was low, hollow.

"We do not give up on him," Wu said firmly. His tone left no room for argument. "But we must be prepared for all outcomes."

I leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. The pain in my ribs was nothing compared to the weight in my chest now. "Jay's strong," I said, mostly to convince myself. "He'll fight. He'll come back to us."

Pixal nodded, her expression softening. "He's strong," she agreed. "But even the strongest of us need help sometimes."

Cole leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "We'll get him back," he said, his voice filled with quiet determination. "No matter what it takes."

I looked at the three of them—Pixal, Cole, Wu—and for the first time in what felt like days, I felt a small flicker of hope. If anyone could figure out how to save Jay, it was this team. Our team.

Man, I loved all of them so freaking much.

"Alright," I said, trying to inject some of my usual bravado into my tone. "But just so you know, when he gets back, I'm gonna be the first one to kick his ass for making us go through all this."

Cole cracked a small smile, and Pixal let out a soft chuckle. Even Wu's lips twitched upward in the faintest hint of amusement.

For a moment, it almost felt like things were normal again.

Almost.