Unanimity | Ninjago AU

Chapter 11

Cole's POV

Lloyd and I squat down, low, on the top of a skyscraper. We look out on the city that has fallen apart ever since Mara and Ciara have taken control. Not only have they divided the people, resulting in lots of fights, but they have slowly started to cut off the food supply chain to the civilians. The loads of food delivered to stores are less and less every day. It's as if they want to weaken the people even more, but for what, I don't know.

"So what are we waiting for, exactly?" Lloyd asks, scanning the streets below us. Currently, stone warriors walk down the center of the street, causing civilians to flood off the streets.

"We're waiting for the girls to go by. Zane ran an analysis, and they're most likely to walk down this street at some point today," I explain.

"I really wish I was a mechanic right now," Lloyd sighs, training his eyes on the street. "Jay, Nya, and Zane don't have to see all of the mayhem in the city. I just wish there was more we could do to help."

"We are helping, just not as quickly as we want. Besides, the best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend, and we're trying to make the girls our friends," I recall one of our first lessons as a team, the one that brought us closer with the green ninja himself. While I imagined that the words would get a laugh or a smile out of Lloyd, his face falls. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm worried about Master Wu. Something is off; I can tell. They're hiding something from us, my mom and dad too," Lloyd admits, his face hard. "They left to do something the day the girls came back, and I know it was important, but I just don't know what it was about."

"Master Wu is always keeping stuff from us. It's just a part of who he is. If it was something that was that important, he would've told us," I pat Lloyd on the shoulder, but it seems to do little to ease him.

"Everything has fallen apart since Mara got here: the city, my relationship, and now Wu is acting off," he sighs, exasperated.

"Has Harumi really not responded to any of your messages?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Nope, nothing," the pain is obvious in his voice.

"But at least her body hasn't been reported. Maybe she's still alive," I encourage him.

"But what if Mara is keeping Rumi as bait for if I don't turn myself in?" Lloyd hypothesizes, looking over the city. "I was the one who destroyed her dad, after all. Maybe she wants payback."

"We'll find her," I reassure him. He looks out at the city for a minute before turning and looking at the cake we picked up.

"I didn't know you and Seliel had a thing," Lloyd admits.

I tilt my head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, obviously Jay and Nya like each other, and Skylor and Kai were all over each other at the banquet before she made him mad. I had no clue that there was anything between you and Seliel though," he admits.

"Oh no, there isn't," I say, looking over at the plate next to me. "Not like theirs at least."

"Jay says you think she's hot," Lloyd says, making me shake my head.

"Of course he did," I rub my temples. "It's hard, cause yeah, I'm attracted to her, and I've enjoyed being near her in the interactions that we haven't been fighting, but I'd want to get to really know her before committing. Like how Kai would be willing to make out with Skylor if she gave him the okay, but me...I'd want to wait. I hope that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does," Lloyd says, thoughtfully. "So you're trying to appeal to her in a friendly way?"

"I guess. If we're being honest, I'm trying to appeal to her in any way," I shrug. "I'm the one of us, besides Jay, who has had the most interactions with her. We don't know how she'd react to Nya, too, so that would be a risky play."