The Master of Wind

-Versus-

Aia's P.O.V:

The door to my cell scraped open and a familiar figure leaned against the doorframe.

"Your friends infiltrated an important ritual last night," Huxley said. "Don't worry, they escaped unharmed, but Chen and Clouse aren't stupid. I found this in the aftermath and thought you would want to have it." She handed me a piece of cloth and I instantly recognized whom it belonged to. "I hoped it would bring you some kind of comfort, knowing that your friends are nearby."

I shakingly picked at the frayed edges of the green fabric. It looked as though it'd been bitten off by a large animal, and although I trusted Huxley's words, I still prayed that no one was injured. The fabric itself was new and unfamiliar, but it no doubt belonged to Lloyd. While inspecting the fabric, a memory of the past came into mind. How, back in the day, Lloyd would let his uniforms get so worn out, that they were falling apart by the seams by the time he finally decided to get something new. I would tease him about it all the time. And then he would become upset, telling me that if you treasure your garments, good energy will flow through them and in return protect your body when the right time comes.

I wondered if that time had finally come, and pressed the fabric closer to my chest. I couldn't afford to sit around and wait any longer. I had to be ready.

"What can you tell me about Master Chen?" I asked.

Huxley's icy eyes narrowed into a determined frown, and I understood how she had managed to maintain the identity of a ruthless general for all these years.

"He may be in a wheelchair but he is still strong." She said. "Be careful with how you treat him and how you act around him, or you'll give him something to use against you." Her hands curled briefly into fists. "He's also disgustingly arrogant. He knows he's clever and likes to show it off."

"Does he have any weaknesses?"

"Oh, yes." She smiled grimly. "The thing about Chen, Aia, is that he is an evil man, who likes power over people, so he likes to see you in fear. He wants you to know you're helpless, which means that more than anything, he likes to talk."

I considered her words for a moment.

"Good," I said. She blinked. "Can you tell me more about his staff?"

"Yes. I'll tell you everything I know after your scheduled restroom break tomorrow." She went and closed the door to my cell before speaking again.. "...Do you have a plan?

I nodded. Uneven hair fell into my eyes. "I'm going to let him have the upper hand for now. And then, if I can, I'm going to break it."

Nya's P.O.V:

"Sure, Jay's cute and funny, and I'm always laughing around him, but everything's about him, and he never takes me seriously." I stuck my head out from the bottom of the Bounty to look at Sensei Wu, who was sitting on his new beloved chair, half-asleep. "More light, please."

He sat up quite suddenly but shined his flashlight onto the Bounty as told. "Right... And Jay never takes you seriously."

"Ya, and then there's Cole. "I continued, tightening a couple of screws. "He's handsome, and I suppose I connect with him on a deeper level, but everything's so serious with him, you know what I mean? " I stuck out my hand. "Socket wrench."

"Young emotions certainly are...complicated." Wu handed me a tool.

I thanked him and was about to fasten some axle nuts when I noticed the nature of the tool in my hand: Long, tapering jaws with a pointed tip. Yeah, not a socket wrench.