Aftershock

A Distraction

Jay sat down on his bed back in the monastery.

Despite having his own room he had a sorta bunk bed, his actual bed was on top and underneath was a desk and a mini mattress. He always liked being higher up. Closer to the ceiling closer to the sky closer to his element. Now he sat there on one end of his bed staring at the rock he set across from them.

"I am not a bad person." He spat out glaring with his arms wrapped around his knees.

"I'm not a bad person I don't need you."

Still the vengestone he had stolen just sat there.

He let out a loud sigh and slammed his head onto his knees. "Yeah... I don't believe me either." They said "not to mention I'm talking to a rock." He groaned waving a hand.

Jay couldn't decide how to feel about all this between almost losing his connection with lightning and dying and then. . . Everything that happened when they merged, and now him and lightning being closer than ever.

Truth be told Jay did still remember bits and pieces of his time as "Lightning" it wasn't much but he remembered the sensation. Like he was suddenly two minds that talked to each other and functioned as one. It was... Strange. The feeling of being two minds and being so so angry. Wanting to kill and wanting to be free. He remembers wanting to hurt them. He remembers wanting to hurt the team and even Cole. Cole of all people!

He wasn't gonna tell them that though. If they knew they would give him what he just couldn't handle right now, pity. They'd feel bad and then they'd try and coddle him even though they've all been through things just as bad if not worse. Seriously Zane's died, Lloyd's had to fight his father and given up his childhood, Kai lost his powers like 24/7, Nya had had to deal with their shit and growing up without actual parents and Cole's been turned into a fucking ghost! Jay himself has been tortured on a pirate ship for three months for fuck sakes! If everyone can make it through all that then he can handle a little elemental whiplash without the sympathy.

He'll get over it, he always does.

Then his door slammed open."JAY!"

"AUGH KAI WHAT THE FUCK?!" His lamp popped and glass shards scattered on the floor.

"Ooo sorry dude but we've been calling for you for like five minutes soooo you gonna keep moping that's cool with me but I think everyone else is kinda waitin on you to be useful so," he made a click noise with the side of his mouth and pointed down the hallway.

Jay rolled his eyes as Kai walked away. Kai meant well he really did and he knew that but just once he'd like to see him be the punching bag for once. "Expendable like Jay" tch, right like he didn't just freeze him in place in like two seconds when they tried to take the monastery.

Jay paused when he reached to door frame sending a final glance back up to his bed where the stone was laying.

He got all of three feet down the hall before he turned around and quickly grabbed it shoving it into his pocket.

"Hey guys" He greeted, the lights turning a bit brighter as he entered the room.

That was another thing he had to adjust too now. Electricity just reacted to him now. He didn't think about it happening anymore it was just natural. Which of course took quite a bit of getting used to, more so than you'd imagine especially learning to sleep with lights on. Plus since the city was short on a power supply at the moment they had to cut the monastery off. Their home was now almost 100% Jay powered. His mere presence in the building made electricity flow through it and they had generators for when he left so it worked out.

He wasn't a battery. They weren't using him the way Ahr did this was his choice which wasn't a luxury he had the last time.

Still it had become an unspoken rule in their home. Never call Jay a battery. Coincidentally Kai made that mistake first as a joke. Kai now has to buy a new phone. Good thing he was immune to electrical fires.

"Hey sparky!" Cole replied cheerfully waving at him as he walked over.

"So what's up?" He asked leaning over Nya who sat at the monitor desk giving him a concerned look.

"We've got more rioters in the city. They're becoming more hostile and reckless. I don't get it! They stand around all day demanding and yelling that something should be done about the power instead of actually trying to do something about it! Can't they see people are trying their best without them screaming all the time!"

"They think that this is the best way they'll be seen. They don't think they have the power too actually do something so they do what they can to put more pressure on people who actually are trying. Kinda how riots work Nya." Cole replied gently.

"Pfft whatever I still think it's illogical, and stupid."

"Stupid or not they can't keep doing this someone could get hurt."

"All right so let's get down there and deal with these nutjobs" he said with a determined smile.

"They aren't nutjobs Jay, they're people they're just really frustrated and scared right now." Lloyd scolded him.

He sighed, man for a technically twelve year old the kid was no fun. Sometimes Lloyd really needed to loosen up.

"One way or another someone has to deal with them there's three groups spread across the city the smallest has about eight people so nothing huge looks like it'd be a good split solo mission." Nya said clacking away at the keyboard.

"I'll go" Cole said smiling.

"Me too I'll take the big group. Maybe they'll calm down more if they know that the green ninja is helping out with the power to."

"Good thinking, Jay... Are you up for another mission? I mean after last night-"

"I'm fine." He shot her down before she could get too far. "I'll go I can take the second biggest group."

"I don't know if that's a good idea Jay, the citizens especially the rioters are still pretty mad at you after-" she glanced at him for a second and he hoped she could see the pleading in his eyes.

Please don't make him sit out on another mission.

Please let him have a distraction for a little while.

"Ugh damn the master"

"YES!"

"But be careful, take the smallest group. The rioters have been getting unpredictable so try and be more stealthy about this one. Hood up, whole time."

"Yeah yeah yeah I got it just chill this'll be a breeze! 'sides if anything goes wrong Cole and Lloyd will be just a few blocks away!"

Nya dragged a hand across her face a sure sign he was winning.

"Jay, do not make me regret this."

"yessssss" he said and dashed off towards his bike. It whirred to life as he hopped on and electricity crackled inside the wheels as he became a blip that zipped off into the distance.

Nya sighed as she watched Jay leave. Lloyd ran off to the garage to get his own bike. She turned to Cole. "Hey boulders, not like you wouldn't do it anyway but watch out for him okay?"

Cole gave her a warm smile. "'course" and he followed along after.

The lights faded to a dull yellow after Jay left no longer stark white like the lightning ninja's hair.

She had a bad feeling about this.