Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 32- Falling apart

P I X A L

We were losing.

It was inevitable.

I knew it was going to happen.

But I guess in some way I hoped it wouldn't.

Lightning crackled in the sky, illuminating the twisted grin on his face—or what used to be him, I suppose.

Those bright eyes, usually so full of life, now glowed with an unnatural purple hue, void of any humanity.

That colour screamed danger. It screamed death.

It was horrifying. His eyes, his face, so different yet so similar- his body morphed into something unrecognisable. A creature, devoid of anything that made Jay Jay.

Kai stood beside me, his hands engulfed in fire, his breaths rapid, uneven, almost frantic. He was scared, and I wasn't surprised. He'd already faced Jay.

And it didn't end well.

On my other side, Cole's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were pale. His stance was solid, ready to charge headfirst into the chaos.

I admired their strength—their refusal to back down.

But as I stared at the Overlord—at Jay—all I felt was dread.

Not an ounce of certainty, of confidence, flowed in my wires.

A knot tightened in my chest, the weight of my calculations pressing down like a vice. We weren't strong enough.

It was a certainty, not a fear.

I knew the odds,
the probabilities,
the variables.

And every outcome pointed to the same conclusion.

We couldn't win. Not like this.

"Stay close," I murmured, my voice quieter than I intended. It felt like a futile request, but I needed to say it, to remind myself we were still a team. "Don't let him isolate us."

Cole gave a small nod, his face grim, his jaw set in determination.

Kai didn't respond. His fiery gaze was fixed on the Overlord—on Jay. His jaw tightened, the flames that were curling up his arms flaring brighter. "We can't do this alone," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "We can't save him. Not right now."

He was right. I knew he was right. But hearing the words out loud made my processors stutter.

"We need the mirror," I admitted reluctantly. My tone was steady, but my mind was racing.

The Mirror of Shadows. The only chance we had at pulling Jay out of the Overlord's control. But it was so far away, and we didn't have time. "But we can't just let him destroy everything. We have to hold him off. We have to protect the people."

Kai nodded, his expression hardening. "Then let's stop him from hurting anyone else."

"And if it takes days for the others to arrive?" Cole asked, his voice sharp, the question looming over us like a black fog.

I hesitated. "I... I don't know. But what I do know is that we can't let him slaughter innocent civilians." I looked between them, forcing conviction into my voice. "We have to fight back."

They both nodded, their agreement unspoken but clear.

The Overlord's laugh shattered the moment. It was sharp, jagged, wrong—a grotesque mockery of Jay's usual laugh. His head tilted unnaturally as he studied us, his glowing eyes narrowing.