Transgender Jay : A Ninjago Story

53 - Culprit

"Her name is classified for now."

The ninja sat together in one of the intact rooms of the Police Station. A much needed conversation was taking place, concerning the chaotic happenings on the night of the attack.

Jay was there too, after making a speedy and miraculous recovery. Quickly healing up from the knife trauma in a few days, able to leave the hospital in a week, as long as he was under the supervision of his friends.

The blade had only nicked his intestines, hardly causing any damage at all. It was very good luck.

Had the knife been only a couple of centimetres to the left or the right, the outcome could have been much more disastrous.

Despite his lower healing though, the prolonged exposure to the smoke had hurt his throat and lungs, and was advised to not raise his voice until they had returned to normal. The new ailments were reversible... but the old ones?

They were as bad as ever.

At any rate, Jay was happy to be on his way. Staying dormant at a hospital wasn't his cup of tea.

"Many of the security cameras were either destroyed or covered in thick dust during the incident, but one camera managed to capture a decent image. We ran her face through our database, and we know exactly who she is." the group's assigned officer explained.

"... so, will you be able to catch her?"

"... that is where it gets more complex. You see, she has actually been evading us for some time. She was reported missing around a month ago, after running away from her parents and seemingly, disappearing. This is her first recorded location since."

Jay stared straight ahead, listening intently but letting his eyes wander.

"Was she really the only culprit?" Nya asked. She received a nod in reply.

"Such destruction, and so many casualties, from only one assailant. This is a scary proposition." Zane thought out loud. Lloyd mumbled something in agreement.

Finally, after mostly silence for the whole meeting, Jay spoke. A statement, rather than a question. He made sure to keep his voice hushed, as to not hurt his respiratory system any more.

"... she's from Dei Noctis, isn't she."

The officer hesitated, then nodded.

"All the evidence points towards that, yes."

Jay sighed, turning his head to the table in front of him instead of the wall.

"So. What are we gonna do? "

"... in what context?"

"About the cult. Surely they've done enough now for there to be serious legal action? Can't you ban it, in some way?"

"Mr. Walker... it isn't that simple. I very much doubt that legal action will stop them, it will only push them underground."

"I know I know... I'm just... if this carries on any longer, we'll never be able to stop them. They'll get too strong."

———

Within the next few hours, undercover agents who had gone to the cult rallies identified the girl as a definitive member, and the attack was linked back to Dei Noctis directly.

It was announced across the continent that any affiliation with the group would lead to instant arrest if found out, and all future rallies were banned. It was no longer classed as a non offending religious organisation, it was now a hate group, full of radicals and terrorists.

Some of the members took to the streets, attempting to start riots in opposition to the new laws, but they were quickly snuffed out by fast working officers.

Jay watched it on a live news feed on his phone, as they ninja got a lift back to the Bounty.

A few more messages from internet trolls came through, but he simply swiped them away. His social media inboxes were still chock-a-block with unread chats.

He planned to go through them at some point, but not now.

"... how bad are the riots?" Cole asked, breaking the layer of silence that had covered the vehicle.

"Not that bad. The police seem to be dealing with it quite well."

"That's good."

The uncomfortable quiet returned, and Cole had an urge to carry on the conversation, but let it slide. He didn't know what else he could have said.

Traffic wasn't bad, as the night had progressed quite quickly. Most people were already home, getting ready for the bedtime routine.

Jay's eyelids felt heavy, and he wished that he was home around now, settling into his own subconscious. Sofa in the game room, headfirst on the table, on a mattress on the ground. Anything would do, as long as he was able to rest.

However, a lingering thought kept plaguing him. A small snippet of memory that replayed on repeat in his brain, like a broken record.

The piercing glare of the girl, her eyes mere inches from his.

A pure lack of remorse lingered deep in her pupils, shoving feelings of fear and uncertainty deep into the ninja's head, plaguing him with a looping memory of the stabbing. Disappearing into the smoke, leaving him to bleed and die.

Boy, did he want to forget about it.

As an attempt to pull his train of thought away from such topics, Jay pondered over something different.

Nobody had gone into massive detail, but, Jay had overheard some nurses talking about Cole. Apparently, he had kept pressure on the wound for the entire journey, and had he not, he most likely would have bled out.

He really ought to thank him.

Cole let out a sigh, the Bounty coming into view at last. The taxi came to a stop a few paces from the boat, and turned around, giving them all a smile.

"The station covered the fare, don't worry about that."

"Ah... that's good."

They all mumbled a thanks as they exited, and got onto the bounty as speedily as they could, wanting to get out of the cruel winds that flayed them.

"... who's turn is it to cook tonight?" Nya asked as they'd all reached the bridge, unzipping her coat.

"I can't even remember." Kai replied. He had been strangely quiet.

"... is anybody even hungry?" Lloyd added.

Slowly, they all shook their heads.

"... well. That decides that then, huh."

The group dispersed, on their way to do various things. Some headed straight for their beds, others lingered around in the bridge of the game room.

Jay went straight to Lloyd's bedroom, where he collapsed onto his mattress and let out a huge puff of air, relishing in the familiar comfort of the space. Even just a few days spent in hospital took a toll on him, leaving him achy and frustrated.

He had already arranged with his mother to visit the junkyard the next morning, to finish off the well needed conversation after it was cut short. He wasn't looking forward to it.

Seeing his parents would be fine, nice in fact. The context was what he dreaded.

Having to talk about how he was adopted once more.

Ed and Edna would always be his parents. They raised him, they made him who he was, and he loved them both to no end.

But despite all that, despite the endless parental love they bathed him in, despite the unconditional care and support they'd shown across his life... he still hurt.

The knowledge that for some unknown reason, his birth parents didn't want him... was a concept he could hardly bare to think about.