Mad World | Ninjago Fanfic |

IX

The Destiny's Bounty hovered low with a spotlight aimed at the ground. The ninja were desperate to find Zane. They hadn't heard from or been able to track him since his last transmission. However thanks to the multiple motorcycle tracks left behind, they were able to find the route the Sons took. Each one of the ninja peered over the side of the ship, save for Nya who was steering.

Lloyd knew it was only a matter of time until they came across the remains of Zane. If Mr. E had done as asked it would take a while for them to repair Zane and there weren't many spare parts on the ship. So that meant any chance of Zane aiding them and telling them what he knew was very low. The sun had set now, making it even more difficult to find him, since they only had one spot light.

"We're never going to find him, are we?" Jay mumbled quietly. Cole placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find him, Jay, we're not losing anyone to Sons of Garmadon." Cole said. "We saved you, I escaped and we are going to find Zane, alive." Jay just nodded and continued to peer over the railing. Lloyd has realized that even though Jay had lived, he had still killed a part of him. The joyous, optimistic part of him was gone. Lloyd was hopeful that this meant when the time came, Jay wouldn't put up as much of a fight as before. Cole on the other hand, he may still be a problem. There was only supposed to be Nya and Kai left to deal with. Jay should've been dead, Cole should still be locked up and Zane was hopefully dead. But with the way things had gone so far, Lloyd was uncertain if Zane really was gone. The ninja had proved difficult to get rid of.

"I found him!" Kai shouted and Nya halted the ship. "Lloyd, will you come with me?" He asked and Lloyd nodded. They each tossed a rope over the edge and slid down into the sand.

"Zane!" Lloyd called over to him and was happy when he didn't get a response, this was a good sign. Of course he still put on a face of worry. Kai made it to Zane's side first.

"He's not responding." Kai said. "Cole, Jay, can you send down a gurney? Zane is in really bad shape." Lloyd and Kai carefully picked up Zane and carried him over to the gurney. Mr. E had done a wonderful job ending Zane. And now to wait and see if the trap had truly been planted. He watched as Zane was lifted into the sky and then followed Kai back up the rope.

Nya rushed Zane below the deck, so her and Pixel could start to fix him. Though he was in such bad shape Lloyd had a feeling they wouldn't be able to. After a while, Nya called everyone below deck so she could explain Zane's condition.

"Well he's alive." Nya said as they all crowded in the room. "But we can't do much to help him here. We don't have some of the parts we need and he needs to reboot himself. That part we can't help him with.

"How bad is he really?" Jay asked.

"There's extensive damage to all his systems. The neural net and cognitive cores took the most damage." Pixal explained. "I was able to divert some power to his critical life functions."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Harumi asked. Lloyd couldn't tell if she actually cared or was just trying to put up an act. He would have to ask her later, if he remembered.

"We keep moving, we have to stay ahead of the Sons." Lloyd spoke up. "We have to keep them from getting the baby back."

"I still don't get how a baby is a key." Kai wondered. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"I know it doesn't but it's what I heard." Cole explained. "They said that the Quiet One needs him for a ritual and that he was the missing key."

"In the case we should get as far from the city as possible." Lloyd said. He needed them to fly in the direction of the forest, to make it easier.