A Second Chance

Part 93 - Breach

I didn't sleep at all. Instead of tossing and turning in the massive guest bedroom, I headed down to the basement lab hours before the sun even started to rise. The cool, sterile environment of the underground workshop was exactly what I needed to clear my head.

The modified Tiger Widow formula was incredibly delicate. Since I didn't have access to an actual giant, venomous spider in the city, I had spent the last few weeks synthesizing some weird replica that mirrored the venom's unique molecular structure. 

It wouldn't be fatal to humans like the real thing, but it would pack enough of a specialized punch to completely paralyze a Djinn.

I was using a pair of long metal tongs to carefully lower a vial of glowing green liquid into a centrifuge when the heavy steel door of the lab hissed open.

I didn't look up, keeping my hands perfectly steady. "What?! I told the security system to lock that door!"

"Yeah, well, you used the same passcode you used for your locker back on the Bounty," Kai's voice echoed off the concrete walls. "1-2-3-4. Really secure, buddy."

I finally glanced up to see Kai and Cole walking into the lab. 

They both looked terrible, with dark circles under their eyes that proved they hadn't slept much either. They stood awkwardly near the entrance for a second, looking completely out of place among all the advanced chemistry equipment and custom weapon schematics.

"So, what brings you two down here?" I asked, turning my attention back to the centrifuge and pressing the activation switch. I'm pretty sure we don't have a briefing until like 8."

"Just wanted to help," Cole said, his voice unusually quiet. He stepped further into the room, his eyes scanning the various beakers and tools. "With the Djinn spray. Or whatever else you're working on. We can't just sit upstairs doing nothing."

"It's highly volatile," I replied smoothly, wiping my hands on a microfiber cloth. "And it requires exact measurements. No offense, but neither of you were exactly star students in inventing and all."

"Come on, Jay," Kai insisted, stepping up to the opposite side of the metal workbench. He leaned forward, trying to catch my eye. "Just point us in the right direction. Grind some herbs, polish some armor. We're a team, right? We do things together."

I stared at the spinning centrifuge, my jaw tightening. They were trying so hard to act like everything was normal, like we had just come back from a rough mission and were patching up our gear together. It was painfully clumsy, but it was genuine.

"Fine," I sighed, gesturing to a heavy metal crate in the corner. "Cole, I need those empty pressurized canisters unpacked and lined up on the counter. Kai, there's a box of customized nozzle valves over there. Make sure none of the seals are cracked."

They immediately jumped to work, eager to just have something to do with their hands. For a few minutes, the only sounds in the lab were the clinking of metal canisters and the hum of machinery. It almost felt like the old days in the Samurai X cave. Almost.

"So," Kai started, his tone a little too casual as he inspected a brass valve. "Where did you go? That's... a really long way from Ninjago."

"A different universe, actually," I replied, without looking up. "Takes a specialized portal to get there."

Cole set down a row of metal canisters with a soft clunk. He leaned against the counter, crossing his massive arms over his chest. He looked like he was physically in pain just trying to find the right words.

"Jay... about yesterday," Cole started, his deep voice carrying a heavy, gravelly weight. "When we asked where you were. You just brushed it off. You made a joke about Toughbutt and the desert."