When Water Turns To Ice | REWRITE AVAILABLE

s e v e n t e e n | Sneeze Power

  There were sounds of loud clanks and footsteps and conversations that consisted of screams.

  I hid like a total ninja in a bush as I watched them.

"Okay, so are we gonna do a totally ninja roll or something and then scurry on into that suspicious looking warehouse?" I asked the ninja who were discussing in a huddle while I tried not to feel left out.

  "What warehouse?" They all jerked their heads up and looked to it.

  Zane pressed a hand to his head. "Scanning now."

  "I can pick up some heat signatures as well as pieces of the mech." Zane announced.

  "Okay, so we're going to need to get in somehow." Kai said.

  "But how can we get by all these generals?" Cole questioned.

  "What if we set a smoke bomb?" Jay suggested.

  Nya shook her head. "To obvious. We need to be discreet."

  "Hey guys! I'm just going to shimmy on over there and climb up that ladder!" I yelled from where I had moved down a simple empty path through the trees to the side of the old warehouse to the ladder.

  They all looked up. Then scrambled after me. "Dammit." Kai grumbled. "I wanted to think of a plan."

  "Okay, Gwen I want you to follow right behind me. Ladders of this age can be very dangerous-and she's already there." Cole said in exasperation.

  "My dad works with old stuff this thing isn't even a year old." I grumbled as I scaled it easily.

  Zane shrugged and followed while the other ninja kept watch.

  We sat in the roof and looked from the skylight inside.

  "You know, I think you guys underestimate me." I said.

  "Of course not." Zane glanced at me.

  "No, you do. It's like grade school capture the flag. All the kids thought I couldn't run or make plans so they all left me out of their plan huddle. Well jokes on them! I was a fast runner and won it all!"

  "We don't leave you-"

  "Guys stop arguing like a married couple and take a look at this!" Kai snapped.

  We both exchanged looks and huffed before moving to look. Kai pointed to the centre of the room where the generals were picking through pieces. I followed his finger and...

"Oh look! Junk!" I exclaimed.

Kai shook his head. "No, there!"

"Oh look! More junk!"

Kai gave an irritated sigh. To be frank it's hard to figure out what someone is pointing at from so far up high.

Zane took my chin and pointed it downwards. I scrunched up my face and squinted. My eyes strayed on the control panel. Inside was a little piece of paper.

"How'd Nana get that in there?" I questioned.

  "That's what I want to know." Wu said suspiciously.

  "Okay, we have to make a distraction and while the generals are distracted we'll let someone down with a rope and get the paper." Lloyd said.

  "What wants to be propelled unsteadily by the waist to get a teeny tiny piece of paper?" Cole asked.

I raised my hand. "Me! Me! Me!" I whispered excitedly.

  Zane shook his head. "No."

  I scowled. "Remember what I said before? Underestimation, there it is right there. You're breaking my tender heart into pieces. Pieces!"

  Zane blinked. "No."

  Kai snorted.

I pursed my lips. "But I'm the lightest! All you guys are....grr....and full of muscle while I'm full of skinny limbs!" I pointed out, waving my arms around.

  "She has a point." Cole nodded.

  I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not sure if I should be offended or happy."

  Zane shook his head adamantly. "It's to dangerous. Just because the generals are stranded here doesn't mean they don't have access to weaponry."

  "Come in Zane! Gwen's a big girl! She's doesn't need you going all papa bear. Besides, you can be the one to reel her down if you want. She'll keep her coms on and we'll do a simple distraction that won't cause to much havoc." Nya put her hand on his shoulder.

  He huffed. "I don't like this."

"Well to bad. We can't always get what we want." I said giddily. "But if you try sometimes....you just might find! You get what you need!"

"That is a good song." Cole agreed.

"Okay! Let's get a harness on Gwen, make sure the coms are ready and figure out a distraction!" Lloyd clapped his hands together.

*******

  "Nah nah nah nah nah. Nah nah nah-na-nah. Nah! Nah!" I sang under my breath as I swung a little from the rope. They had fixed a harness around me and I was now being propelled from the skylight. The generals moved around obliviously under me as I chanted my spy song.

  "Gwen do me a favour and shut up." Kai said through the com.

  I blew a small raspberry.

"I do not advise continuing your version of a spy theme song." Zane added. "We cannot risk the generals hearing you coming."

  "Jay, you ready?" Nya asked.

"Not ready! Not ready!" He hissed as I heard a small thud and the sound of heavy breathing. "Okay...I'm good now, ready! No wait....ready!"

  I felt Zane stop me a few metres over the generals and the paper. I spread out like a star, waving my arms hazzardly as I swung from side to side. I blew some hair out of my face as quietly as I could as I watched some generals bicker over raisons and pick up organize the remains of the mech.

  I felt my nose tickle as the ninja conversed with each other as they tried to activate the plan.

  I tried to hold my breath and not sneeze as one general began arguing with the other over the last raison.

  "You better give it to me or else-" the first general snapped.

  "Or else what?" The other taunted. "What are you gonna do? Use some pro ninja power?"

  Suddenly I sneezed as the lights shut off.

  "What did you do?" The second wailed. "You have sneeze power?"

  "I don't known!" The first yelled back. "Quick! Make me sneeze!"

  The lights flickered causing the generals to scream as they raced around and knocked into each other.

  "Now Gwen!" Zane said. He had covered the sky lights so I couldn't see his shape anymore but I became aware of two beams of light shining through the darkness. His eyes.

  I swam through the air until his moved me forward. I searched through the metal, careful of sharp edges until I got to the controls. I reached into the small crevice, the screams of the generals loud as the ninja snuck up behind them and stuffed some bags over their heads.

  I scrambled around as I heard the yells of generals coming towards the screaming as I quickly rummaged into the metal. I hissed when I cut my hand on a sharp edge but my fingers found the slip of paper.

  "Got it!" I announced as I yanked it out.

The ninja quickly grabbed the bags as Zane shut off his beams and everyone scrambled away when the doors started opening.

  "Going up!" Zane said through the com as I felt the rope tug hard. I bit back a shriek when I flew from the ground, quickly going back up.

  They pulled me from the skylight and I grinned wildly.

  "We got it!"