The Titanium Ninja

Leaving the Team

The days following Zane's memorial were silent with grief, except for Kai. He couldn't take the silence of the monastery any longer. Pacing his room, he fought back tears and the survivor's guilt that had been brewing for several days now, he felt like it was his fault. I should've been able to do something! he thought. It's my fault Zane's gone! It should've been me. He should still be here, I don't deserve to be here.

Kai looked into the mirror above his dresser, his usually spiky hair was flat and dull, as if mimicking his mood. I can't stay here any longer. He grabbed his red and black suitcase from under his bed and stuffed all of his clothes inside, packing his toothbrush, comb and several bottles of hair gel. He took one last glance around his room, closed the door and left the monastery with a letter of goodbye laying on his dresser.
                          *
Several days after Kai left, Jay started going crazy from the silence as well. He tried to tell joke to lighten the mood but no one laughed. Not even a single chuckle. Even his girlfriend, Nya, didn't even crack a smile anymore. Jay had started eating less after Zane had died, the thought of food reminded him too much of his Nindroid brother. He started losing weight, barely touching anything his plate.

One day, he was helping clean the living room while a couple of students watched television, he overheard a commercial looking for a host for a new game show. That's perfect! If I can land that job, it could help me move on! I can even help support Sensei Garmadon's monastery! Jay thought excitedly, a smile appearing on his face for the first time in over a week. He took off, accidentally leaving the vacuum running.
                          *
Cole left a few days after Jay; he was tired of moping around the monastery grounds, children's screams of joy, he was tired of seeing Zane everywhere. He had known Zane the longest, he knew him several months before Jay joined the group, and a full year before Kai was introduced. He and Zane had had a close bond, stronger than brothers-in-arms, it was as if they were blood brothers.

Eating reminded Cole of his lost brother, off all the good memories they had shared in the kitchen, the numerous food fights with the rest of the group, the celebratory cake Zane had made in honor of Lloyd defeating the Overlord, the cake Cole had tried to make before it blew up in the oven. Cole cracked a shy smile at the memory, he and Zane started cooking lessons after that, he was able to make things with a light burn now instead of a complete burn. Cole's smile fell, why did he have to think about that! It just made the realization worse. I need to get out for a bit, he thought. Cole left the monastery, deciding to head to Shihon to visit Zane's memorial for a little while.

As he walked through the busy streets, he was asked numerous times if he was one of the famous ninja that saved the city. He would reply with a curt nod and kept moving through the crowd, overhearing people murmur, "It's one of the ninja! It's the earth ninja! It's really him!" He rolled his eyes and continued through the city, eventually making it to the garden where Zane's statue rested.

Cole looked up at the statue, named the Titanium Ninja, after Zane's silvery-white uniform, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, brother, I failed you," he murmured to the statue. The falcon was still perched on it's shoulder, never leaving its master's side.

"I wish it was me who was gone. You had so much to live for, why did you have to throw your life away? There could've been another way to defeat the Overlord! Why did we search harder for it?! Why did you have to die?!"

Cole's breaths shuddered as he tried to stop the flood of tears, he fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands, his body shaking with each sob as Zane's statue watched over him.

Click! Click! Click!

Cole looked up and saw several photographers taking pictures of him, not caring that he was grieving for his brother.

"Cole! Over here!" one photographer called, waving his hand to get Cole's attention.

"Smile for the camera!"

"Wipe away those tears!"

Cole scrambled to his feet and sprinted away, leaving behind the sounds of the shutters clicking together and leaving behind Zane. I don't want this fame, he thought. I don't want to be known as the earth ninja. I want to be a nobody again. I just want to disappear.

The next day, Cole had vanished, leaving behind an empty room.