Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 43- A plan

R U E

The air in the monastery felt heavier than it should have, even with the morning sun streaming through the high windows. Two days had passed since the chaos of Jays appearance, and though we had survived, victory felt distant. He was gone—escaped, or rather, taken by the Overlord.

Well, that's what I'd gathered from the scraps on information I'd picked up. No one had really told me anything, but I didn't blame them. We really hadn't had the time for a full run through.

But now, at least, with the mirror of shadows in our possession, we were a little closer to figuring out how to save him.

I sat on the edge of the wooden bench, my hands clenched tightly on my lap as Master Wu stood before us, his expression grave. Cole, freshly out of the hospital, was propped up against the wall with his arm in a sling. He looked exhausted but determined, as if he'd fight again in a heartbeat despite his injuries. Kai paced restlessly near the doorway, muttering under his breath about the time we were wasting.

"We need to focus," Wu said, his voice steady but firm enough to cut through the tension. "The mirror of shadows is a powerful artifact, but it will not work unless the Overlord looks into it directly. Only then can it trap his essence."

The room went quiet, except for the faint creak of the floorboards under Kai's restless steps.

"But how do we get him to look into it?" Lloyd asked, frowning. He leaned forward, his green eyes sharp and questioning. "The Overlord isn't exactly going to stop and stare at his reflection if we ask nicely."

"That," Wu said, nodding slowly, "is the challenge. It will require strategy, patience, and a whole lot of danger, I suppose."

The word "danger" made me glance around at everyone else. Zane was sitting perfectly still, his gaze fixed on the mirror resting on the table between us. Nya's jaw was tight, her fingers tapping nervously on her knee. Even Kai had stopped pacing, though his expression was unreadable.

"And Jay?" Cole asked quietly, his voice breaking the silence. "How will it work?"

Master Wu sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Jay's soul is not entirely lost," he said, his tone softer now. "But freeing him will not be easy. The Overlord's hold on him grows stronger by the day. To break that bond, Jay will have to face challenges within himself—battles against the Overlord's influence. Only by overcoming his own fears, doubts, and anger can he truly free himself."

"So.. basically." Nya stated slowly, trying to process the information. "What you're saying is he has to face his worse fears, worst nightmares, with no way of knowing if they are real or not?"

Wu hesitated, before nodding reluctantly. "He- he will also feel them. Like they are real. If he gets stabbed in the visions, well- no damage would have been done to his physical body but it would certainly feel like it."

"So you're saying it's up to him?" Kai said, his voice sharp, almost accusatory. "We're just supposed to wait and hope Jay wins some... twisted internal battle?"

"As long as we are beside him, hopefully we can get through his visions and communicate. It's not guaranteed, but still." Wu commented.

"For now we need to prepare. The sooner we find the Overlord, the easier it will be to release his soul from Jays body."

I glanced at the mirror, its surface dark and shifting like a pool of ink. The idea of Jay being trapped, fighting some unseen battle, made my stomach twist. I didn't even know him, but by looks on the other's faces, twisted in horror, I knew that he was very dear to them. And if he was, I knew that he was a good person. I would do anything and everything I could to help him.

"We'll figure it out," I said softly, more to myself than anyone else. But when Kai turned to look at me, his gaze softened, and he gave me a small nod, as if to say he was trying to believe that too.

"Alright," Lloyd said, determination hardening his voice. "Then let's figure out a plan to make the Overlord look into that mirror. Because we're not losing Jay."

The room fell silent again, but this time it felt different—like the quiet before a storm. We were ready to fight, to do whatever it took. Even if none of us fully knew what lay ahead.

Master Wu stepped back, letting us absorb the weight of his words. The mirror sat on the table, dark and unassuming, yet holding the key to everything we were fighting for. I couldn't take my eyes off it.

Zane broke the silence first, crossing his arms. "Okay, let's start with the Overlord. How do we get him close enough to the mirror? And how do we get him to actually look at it?"

"He isn't stupid," Kai muttered, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. "He knows we're after him. There's no way he'll just waltz into a trap."

"That's why it must be a trap he cannot resist," Wu said. His calm tone made it sound so simple, but nothing about this felt simple. "The Overlord seeks ultimate power, and he is certain of his victory. We must use that arrogance against him."

Lloyd frowned, pacing a few steps. "Like bait? Something he'd come after no matter what?"

Wu nodded. "Precisely. Something valuable enough to lure him in."

"Like one of us?" Cole's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, a challenge. "He'd love to take us out."

"Cole," Lloyd said sharply, but Wu raised a hand.

"No," he said firmly. "It will not be one of you. The risks are far too high." His gaze swept over us, calm but weighted. "We will find another way."

"Another way," Kai echoed, shaking his head. "We don't have time for 'another way.' The longer we wait, the stronger the Overlord gets. And Jay..." He trailed off, his voice tight.

The tension in the room felt like it could snap.

"Well, the real question is— who would he like to kill the most?" I spoke before I could think it through, even surprising myself.

Everyone turned to me, and I swallowed hard, feeling their gazes.

"I mean, right?" I said, my voice gaining a bit of strength. "It won't be Lloyd, because he said he wanted to kill you last. Cole, he thinks you're dead. And that leaves.." I gestured to the rest of them.

"That's... true," Lloyd said, rubbing his chin. "But now the question is: Kai, Nya or Zane."

Wu nodded solemnly. "The plan is possible. But it is extremely dangerous. If the Overlord even suspects a trap, he will destroy you without a second thought—and the rest of us."

The weight of those words pressed down on me, but I pushed through it. "Then we have to be smart about it. We don't have another choice."

Kai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But if this goes wrong..."

"It won't," Lloyd said firmly, his voice cutting through the doubt. "It can't. We won't let it."

Nya cleared her throat, and everyone turned to look at her. "I'll volunteer. I'll be the- the bait."

Lloyd exchanged uncertain looks with the rest of the team. "Nya, are you sure?"

She nodded, sighing. "The Overlord knows that Jay is my ying. I'm probably the one he wants to hurt the most right now."

I nodded, and for a moment, the tension in the room seemed to settle. We had a plan—or the start of one, at least.

"What about Jay?" I asked, glancing at Wu. "How do we help him with his... challenges?"

Wu's expression softened. "The best thing you can do is remind him of who he is," he said. "Jay is strong, but his strength comes from his heart. His connection to all of you."

I bit my lip. Sure, I didn't know this guy, but I wasn't about to let him fight this alone.

"Then we keep fighting," Lloyd said, standing tall. "For Jay, and for everyone else who's counting on us."

The determination in his voice sparked something in me, and I saw it in the others too. We didn't have all the answers, but we had each other. And that had to be enough.

For Jay's sake, it had to be.