A Second Chance

Part 90 - Not pissed?

I'm just... man, I'm supposed to be pissed. Like, screaming at them for what they did level of pissed. 

But, that clearly isn't the case. 

I just... felt like I didn't wanna do this anymore. So, I just said what I could. 

"How have you been, guys? I've been busy and all, since you know... that, but yeah, I'm doing that."

"Y-yeah, it's been a weird ride," Kai said sheepishly. 

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but who exactly is he?" Arin asked. "Wait a minute, aren't you the guy we met at Fugidove's show?!"

"Yeah, that's me!" I replied. "How's the ninja life?"

"It's been going good and all," Arin replied. "Perfect, actually... Master Lloyd's really cool!"

"Jay," Nya said. "About 10 years ago-"

"No, no, no!" I replied. "It's all good! It happens and all, you know. We can't control everything, can we?"

Man, I wanted to explode and call them out on their bullshit, but I couldn't. Something was stopping me, maybe some form of closure, some barrier, but I don't know what is. 

"You must be Jay,"

A silver-haired man moved forward, standing right next to me at face level. It was impossible to not know who he was. 

So, this is how he sounded. 

Hard to believe that he was an evil guy turned good, but here is Synergy, the guy who replaced me and is Nya's husband. 

"Hey, man," I said. "How's it going?"

"Good," he replied. "What about you?"

"Just been getting around, you know what I mean?" I said shakily. "Been a wild ride and all,"

"So... I don't mean to be rude or anything, but where were you, dude?" Cole asked. 

I flinched. I wanted to tell them how much I suffered in the desert, I wanted to tell them how bad it was, but the words just couldn't come out of my mouth. I just... I just couldn't get them out for some reason and I know how weird it felt, but it's just the truth. 

I can't feel good about this, because I literally can't. But, it's like a place of stalemate. 

Do I clench my fists? Do I feel mad? Do I... lash out? Do I call them out? Do I feel better? Do I... what do I do?

"Well... I... I was quite far from here," I laughed. "I-I wasn't sure to come back because, you know, Toughbutt said I'd be executed and all, but looks like I got proven innocent, so yeah."

...

"I hope this clears the trial and any bad air between us,"

I could also add in the fact of what horrible things they said to be during the trial, but I just ended up not saying it. I remember all the mean words each of them said to me, not the new ninja and Synergy, but what they said. 

I remember Cole beating me up. 

I remember Nya pressing that button to torture me. I remember Nya breaking my Yin and Yang Medallion. I remember it all, and right now at this exact moment, I remember it all like it was yesterday. 

"Bad air has been cleared a long time ago," Kai said. 

...

...

...

"Yeah, so I came here, because well, bad guys I'm fighting are here, and they're here to take over Ninjago. So, I think it's in our best interest to work together?"