Only One Can Remain ► Ninjago [REWRITING]

| XIV | Different Situations

   *Zane's POV*

     Finally having escaped the chains, I climbed up the wall and held on as I cut the bars holding PIXAL inside.

     "Hurry, Zane. Before they come back!"

     Once I finally got it, I slid through the hole. "I'm through. Now let's get out of here!"

     But I wasn't ready for what I saw.

     Robotic arms and other body parts were scattered around the room. I slowly walked over to the screen with her face on it, frowning.

     "PIXAL... you're... you're..."

     "Scrapped. I know. But I couldn't tell you, not when you needed to get out of here. Sadly, this is where my journey ends. But not for you."

     I took her hand in mine, watching her speak. "Zane, you must go alone. Find your friends, stop Chen. I know you have it in you... and don't worry about me."

     I then hugged the screen as if there was nothing else to do—I couldn't let go of her. "I will always be a part of you."

     I looked to my right and saw the hard drive that was PIXAL. An idea popping into my head, I smiled. "You're right. You will always be a part of me."

     "Zane, what are you—?"

     But I didn't let her finish as I pulled out the cartridge, inserting it into the back of my head. Just as quick, I saw her on my screen.

     She smiled. "Zane! You've taken my neural drive and inputted it into your processor. You're ingenious!"

     "Not ingenious. Upgraded." I shook my head, my smile only getting bigger. "I'm sure there will be other surprises about me we'll find out together. But until then, let's both get out of—"

     But her expression soon turned into fear and she cut me off. "Zane, behind you! Initiate evasive—!"

     I was too late when turning around, as I saw Clouse shocking me with a gun and all I saw was black.

   *No POV*

     Clouse sighed, looking behind him to the two followers. "Next time, maybe it would be best to tie up the nindroid with chains thick enough that he couldn't cut through..."

     "You can take my clothes and power, but you'll never take my super strength!"

     Cole tried pulling on the door, sighing and falling on his back when he couldn't. "Okay, so you've got that, too."

     The door then unlocked, leaving him shocked. "You're letting me go?"

     "Of course not. Your presence is required in the factory," Clouse answered.

     "The factory? Lock me up for all I care, I'm never gonna lift a finger for you despicable—!" But Cole never finished as he was dragged by Clouse and one of the followers.

     The door then opened, revealing what the factory was—where Chen's food was made.

     "A noodle factory? Why didn't you say so? This is my kind of place!" The earth ninja looked around, smiling. "Look, that's how they make the noodles!"

     He then went over to the next machine. "Oh, and that's the dumpling machine!" And then to another conveyor belt. "And is that how you make fortune cookies?" He took one in his hand, whispering to another worker. "You know there's a fortune inside those, right?"