Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 45- Pushing against the tide

L L O Y D

The air felt heavy, as if even the city itself was waiting for something bad to happen. From the rooftop we were perched on, I scanned the streets below. The roads were alive, packed with bustling people and loud voices.

A parade was the perfect place for the Overlord to wreak havoc, but I could only hope he'd fall for the bait.

Music filled the night sky, making it hard to focus, and the sheer number of people made it nearly impossible to keep my eye on Nya.

I couldn't help but glance at Rue. She was staring at the parade below with wide eyes, her expression one of pure awe.

"This is... amazing," She muttered under her breath, her gaze fixed on the scene below. "I've never seen anything like it. The colors, the dancing, the music... It's like the whole city is alive."

Her voice was almost wistful, like she was drinking in every little detail of the celebration. I could see her hands twitch, like she wanted to join in somehow, to get lost in the rhythm of the crowd.

"Yeah, it's something, alright," Kai said, his voice laced with amusement. He was pacing again, as usual, but his eyes flicked over to Rue briefly. "Biggest parade of the year. Celebrating the winter, or something. Half of Ninjago are here right now."

My communicator crackled faintly as Nya's voice came through, low and tense. "Still nothing."

"Stay sharp," I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. "He'll show."

Kai was pacing again, his breath making small puffs of fog in the cold winter air. Rue sat restlessly beside me, the Mirror of Shadows nestled carefully in her lap. Its surface rippled, and it was almost mesmerizing.

But it still didn't stop the feeling of unease gnawing at me.

We were playing with fire, and even the smallest spark could send us spiraling.

"How can you still be pacing?" Rue teased, her lips curving into a small grin. "You've worn down the entire rooftop with your steps by now."

Kai shot her a grin, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Hey, if the roof collapses, at least I'll be the first one to know." He paused, then added with a shrug, "Just making sure I've got the perfect exit strategy, in case the Overlord decides to drop in."

Rue raised an eyebrow. "Right. Well, thank you my hero, for securing the area." She saluted, and he laughed.

I chuckled. The banter between them was quite funny. It was like they'd known each other for years.

Rue tapped her fingers against the mirror. "But you're really not a fan of sitting still, are you?"

Kai shrugged, his breath fogging in the cold air. "Nope. Can't stand it. It's a bit like waiting for a storm to hit. And I—" He paused, then smirked. "I prefer making sure I'm the one doing the hitting when it comes to storms."

Rue snorted, rolling her eyes, then leaned back slightly, her voice amused but thoughtful. "Well, I'd like to see you in action. You've certainly built yourself up to be a brilliant fighter."

"I am amazing," he muttered, smirking "And I'm so ready to kick someone's—"

Rue cut him off with a smirk. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Though, you might want to save that energy in case Jay's as much of a handful as everyone says he is."

Kai chuckled, but there was a slight edge to it. "You're right, I guess." His voice grew more serious. "I should really be watching Nya out there."

"I think she's more than capable of handling herself," Rue said, her tone quiet but confident. "She wouldn't have volunteered if she wasn't."