Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 60- Unity

N Y A

The Overlord straightened up, his manic grin stretching wider, his whole body twitching with  power. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

"Ready yourself," Wu whispered beside me, his voice somehow still calm. I forced a nod, trying to steady my breathing. I had to stay focused—had to fight.

But I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. Jay had always been the heart of our team—the one who made us laugh even when things were bleak. And now I had to hurt him. I'd already hurt him. I'd seen him bleed. He was bleeding.

He was hurting. Because of us.

My heart twisted painfully. I love you, Jay.

I didn't lie when I said that.

I'm so, so sorry.

The Overlord stepped forward, and I tightened my grip, summoning a sphere of water around my hands. His lightning crackled in response, almost as if mocking me. He glanced at Wu, then back to me, his smile widening.

"So...you think you're a hero, Nya?" he sneered, his voice layered and distorted. "You think hurting him will save him? Will save any of you?"

I gritted my teeth, glaring at him. "This isn't you, Jay," I called out, trying to keep my voice steady. "You're stronger than this. You can fight it!"

He cocked his head to the side, almost curious, then let out a low, mocking laugh. "You've already lost."

I hesitated, and that was my first mistake. He took advantage of my pause, launching forward in a blur of speed. Wu was there before I could react, deflecting the first strike with his arms and shoving me aside to avoid the second.

"Focus, Nya!" he snapped, and I shook my head, forcing the doubt out of my mind. Right. This wasn't Jay—this was the Overlord.

But it was still Jay's body. Still Jay's voice, twisted and wrong.

I forced myself back into the fight, sending a wave crashing down on him from the right while Wu struck from the left. The Overlord spun, blasting through the water with a bolt of lightning that barely missed me, the air scorching as it flew past. Wu advanced, but the Overlord grabbed his wrists and flung him back.

My heart dropped as Wu stumbled back, but I clenched my fists and launched myself at him, spinning into a whirlpool of water and striking low. He jumped, but I redirected the wave upward, catching him mid-air and slamming him into the ground.

He growled, but before I could follow up, he shot a pulse of lightning through the water.

Pain screamed up my arms, sending me crashing to my knees.

No, no—

We used to do that move. Me and Jay. For villains. And now he was using it against me.

Wu moved to shield me, but the Overlord's hand was already raised, electricity gathering at his fingertips.

I scrambled backward, every muscle in my body seizing up. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't do anything—

Every muscle in my body was screaming, agony lacing through every part of me.

I couldn't— he was gonna—

A blast of fire shot past me, and the Overlord jerked back, the lightning dispersing as Kai staggered forward, eyes blazing with defiance.

"Nya!" he shouted. "Are you ok?"