Heiress (A Ninjago Fanfic)

Chapter 14

Ko

. . .

"Thank you for everything." Her voice came out hoarser than she liked. The boy set down a handful of debris into the corner, and nodded, acknowledging her. His name was Malik, Silver of Camp Haven. Through their phones, they managed to communicate, and he'd been a massive help with cleaning things up and mopping down the floor.

Dusting his hands off, he sunk down against the wall next to her, completely out of breath, and passed his phone to her. "We can salvage what we can tomorrow, and haul the rest off to a junkyard."

She typed back. "I'll bring out the blueprints of this warehouse. You've been a huge help today. Thank you."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"While I was running over here, this group of kids waved at me. And shouted. It was weird. It's not like they knew me."

"Yeah, it's strange." She paused a moment. A group of children? She erased the message. "Were they in a building?"

"It was a small building. Kind of hidden. If you don't look close, you'd miss it."

The orphanage. Her eyes widened as she connected the dots. The children wouldn't wave at someone they didn't know. Her eyes quickly scanned the rest of the text.

"This one lady was at the window too and she looked like she recognized me too."

The caretaker. Knowing Malik would almost be impossible. He'd never stepped foot out of the States, and coming to Japan would be the first foreign country he's ever been to.

Hiroto must have told them something. But what? She racked her brain, trying to figure it out. As she stared out into space, thinking hard, a movement caught her eye, and she saw him fidgeting awkwardly with his finger.

His white fighting gear was still on, along with his armor that he had no time to take off. His armor. And the badge.

Silver.

"Our Silver must have told them to look out for other ones as well so they could call for help."

His expression dropped, the solemn realization hitting them both at once.

He'd prepared everything. Just in case one day, he might not be there anymore. For the last time, he tried to help someone out. She could almost picture him telling them, trying to hide how heavy the subject was.

Telling them to look for someone wearing silver armor. Or for a badge. That they would be able to keep them safe. The children all nodding, not knowing the meaning behind those words. The woman shaking her head in amusement as she took care of the baby.

Sakura. The infant Hiroto's line had saved. The blood soaked onsie he'd dropped to the ground, getting replaced by the new one she'd picked out. And they'd fought over whether she'd be safer in the warehouse or the orphanage.

"Your Silver thought of everything."

She nodded, giving the phone back, she looked at the state of the place. Her warehouse was in ruins. She didn't know what it was, but all of a sudden, everything that had happened, the weight of what had become of the place she grew up in, came crashing down on her.

Guilt and defeat washed over her like a tidal wave, eager to drown her. She'd abandoned her warehouse to go find the source; a reckless decision on her part. But that one thing had cost her everything. Including Hiroto.

Clenching her fists, she pulled her knees up, swallowing hard, the back of her mouth dry. It was all on her. All the children traumatized, people dead or injured, their home destroyed, everything that she said wouldn't happen, happened. And Hiroto paid for that with his life. Remembering, the agony that spread across his face when he collapsed to the floor, her eyesight blurred.