{Location: Silverthorn high school theater}(Skylor's POV)[When Skylor was in her Senior high school year]

"Zip!" Sam half-claps her hands while aiming them at me.

Really, in a circle of 5, she had to pick me? "Zap!" I point my hands to Das, still doing a weird half clap thing.

A small cheer erupts when Das doesn't respond with, 'Zow.' He looks up, glancing at me, "Is it my turn?"

"It was." He's been acting weird lately. I smirk slightly at him, "We can play again."

He shakes his head, "I-i-it's fine." He walks backward while pointing his thumb at the stage, "And whoa, would you look at the time. It's tech week, SO, I've um..gotta...bye!" After tripping over a seat, he runs to the electronics closet.

Sam snickers, "I think someone has a crush."

"Who Das?" I lick my lips, trying to ignore a wired tugging feeling in my gut, "Yeah. I thought that too. But he won't say who when I want to talk about it."

Sam half covers her mouth, now holding down her snickers and snorts very well, "I wasn't talking about Das."

I fold my arms as I raise an eyebrow.

Jessica, tosses her long brown hair back before adjusting her thick purple glasses, "You. You have a crush on Das."

"Pfft," I roll my eyes, "Am not."

Taylor covers his heart with his chest, "Girl, please. It's so obvious you like-like him."

"What are we? Middle schoolers?" Who even came up with the term, 'like-like.' My mouth starts to feel dry despite me sipping my water constantly. Ugh, why is the back of my neck so hot right now? I try not biting my lower lip, I don't have a crush, I don't have a crush. "What makes you think I do?"

Jessica warms up her voice, "Because," her voice travels to a higher pitch then what was previously known to man, "How the way your voice fluctuates around him."

Taylor starts playing with his hand, a lot like how a girl does when she's nervous, "And the way you suddenly start fiddling with your hands or your hair or your hoodie zipper."

"And," Sam slides up next to me, pocking my cheeks, "How deeply red your face gets once you lay eyes on him."

I push her off, half snickering, this is a joke they're pulling on me. Right? I fold my arms, "First, I haven't been drinking a lot of water, which is why my voice fluctuates. Second, I'm still not so good in social circles. Fiddling with stuff on had just calms me down. Third, it's hot in this theater. I mean geez, I like the heat but this is too much."

"So just take your hoodie off then," Sam wiggles her eyebrows, "And mabey those gloves too."

I grab her hand as she moves to take my gloves off, "I'm fine. I'll get use to the heat."

She shrugs as she pulls her hand back. "All right."

The sound of a speaker and a mic screeching nearly breaks my eardrums. Ok, not really but I like being a little dramatic now and then. "Check. One, two, three." Das' voice echoes through the surround sound system. He puts his hand over the mic, shouting from behind the curtain, "CAN YOU HEAR THE MIC?!"

"YES!" Tayor heads to his direction, "Hang on. Don't do them all without me."

I lean up against the chair, "So now that we have established that I do not have a crush on Das. Who do you think he likes? I'm thinking-"

Both Sam and Jessica sigh at the same time, "You."

My stomach feels like it's swallowed a herd of butterflies, "Jessica. W-what do you mean me? I mean, pfft, no way."

Sam starts playing with a small disk behind her back, "First, he stammers more around you."

"He gets scared easily."

Jessica pushes her glasses up a bit, "And his voice sounds like he swallowed a whole helium tank around you."

"Again, nerves." Some childish part of me is losing it over the thought of him liking me. But oh no, I DON'T like him like that.

Sam shakes her head, probably thinking I'm in denial, "Second, he trips over everything as soon as you walk into a room. Seriously, we've replaced more props and chairs in the last month of you being here than in the history of the school."

I swallow, why is my mouth so dry right now, "He probably just getting used to having another person around in the theater troop."

Jessica takes her glasses off and starts cleaning them with her shirt, "Third, his face matches the shade of a tomato when he sees you. A clear cut sign of a crush."

"As I said before, it's hot in here." But how do I know that he like-likes me? Oh, so that's how that stupid phrase came to be. And why am I so concerned about this?

The surround sound system picks up Das again. "Check one, two- Hey Taylor, I-i need my checklist. I left it in my seat. Could you grab it for me?"

I reach behind me, taking a big swig of water, "You realized this c-"

Both Sam and Jessica shush me as Taylor appears in front of the red curtain.

The mic squicks again as Das sighs. I hear a shuffling then his fingers tap the mic. He there's his usual whimper and shudder as it sounds like he's pulling something out of his pockets, "Skylor, I um...You..I...like. Ilikeyou! That's not it. I um l-l-l-like you. Crap! " He grones loudly as my face flushes red, "I thought my dad said that the notecards would make it easier."

Sam holds up her index fingers, "And finally, I saw him writing confessions for you on notecards earlier." She and Jessica crack up, which only makes my face more and redder, "He likes you. He likes you. He really, really likes you."

"Excuse me," I sprint out as the walls feel like their closing in. I gasp for air as my stomach does a gymnastic routine in me. I half hide behind a tree, trying to understand the idea of someone like liking me. I try taking several deep breaths, all useless in calming me down, "Don't get attached. You're already taking a risk by going to school and being in this club."

But fracking Dasin Vu like-likes me. My stomach screams.

I pull my hoodie off, why is it so hot outside when it's only 7:30 A.M.? I lick my lips, "I don't like him. He was just testing the mics." I lie to myself but I believe it, "If he really had a crush on me, he should come to me." I slowly turn back, tieing my hoodie around my waist. "Only time will tell."

But ya know, it's like I don't want him to tell me how he feels.

I sigh as my hand rests on the door handle, I can't be attached. But here I am, liking humans outside the island.

{Location: Chen's ferry over the endless sea}(Skylor's POV)[Presant day]

I rub my temples, I've been inside this boat too long, staring at boring Borge building blueprints. I roll out of my bunk bed, leaving my blueprints on my bed. Stretching my arms then push open the door. I inhale deeply as I'm splashed in the face. I shake it off, "Great. I needed a shower."

"Watch out," Clouse appears with a mile wide smirk, "The sea tends to be ruffer at night."

"Thanks." I pull off my wet overshirt. It's a little chilly out here. But it just turned to summer. Why does it feel like it's winter? I toss my shirt into my laundry hamper then wander around the perimeter of the ship.

Plenty of Father's minions call me names. I just ignore them, trying to get my mind to relax.

Not really paying attention to where I am, I lean up on the railing. Getting a soft tap on my leg. I glance down at Das, smeared clown make-up and held in only ropes this time, "Did you really have to hurt me?"

"Aw," I watch the firelight dance in the torches, "Did I hurt your feelings?"

"Yes." His blood red lower lip quivers, "I-if you wouldn't mind that is."

I sigh, still refusing to look him in the eye, "Have you ever just fallen out of love with someone?" I close my eyes, trying to understand where and when my feelings for him did a 180.

Das shrugs his shoulders, "I guess. I've fallen out of infatuation with someone before but-"

"No," rub my eyes while trying to hold in a yawn, "Not liking how someone looks, I mean love. Just not caring for that person anymore."

"I don't think so." Oh what an idiot. Does he even realize who he's... gah. Boys are dumb. Das tries shifting to look at me, "I don't think I've gotten to meet someone that special yet."

I sigh, not wanting to leave just because of how entertaining the fire is, "Me either." I keep watching the fire, listening to the water and trying to relax my mind.

Ah, silence.

I've missed you.

Das huffs while loudly slamming the back of his head against the railing, "So," goodbye silences, it was nice knowing you, "What's going to happen to me?"

"You'll be paid off from a bot account belonging to my father's company. Not as much as you got last time but a lot just to keep your trap shut. You'll be followed around for a few days....or years." I hold down the smirk I get as his face grows only more and more, "But after that," I lightly chuckle to myself, "I shouldn't say. That's a surprise you'll never see coming and definitely won't like."

"W-what is it?"

"Sorry," I keep focused on the fire, holding back all my memories of Das, "I've only heard about those awful nasty things."

"Awful nasty things?"

"Yup." Instead of fire, I spot city lights. Silverthorne? No. New Ninjago City. They do look similar but Silverthorn has a working trolly system. I better go make sure those kidnapping plans are 100% possible, "Well, enjoy your bath."

I turn on my heel as Das stutters like Porky Pig, "W-wh-what bath?"

"Oh," I pause before returning to my room, "We can't have the dock cops seeing a kidnapped victim just appear out of nowhere. So you'll be kicked off the boat, be told where to swim to get your money."

"You're kidding me right?" Das finally starts to struggle, "Skylie, tell me you're kidding."

"Mabey I am, mabey I am not." I walk away, my feet making the wooden boards crack, "But that's not my problem to handle."

I head back to my cabin to change. Switching into a pair of tight-fitting tights, a dark orange gi, a mask that I pull up to my nose and thin sneakers with grips on the bottom. The only thing I don't put on is my quiver.

I've been having a really thought time shooting lately. And it's not like I'll need it for the mission. As the ferry pulls into the dock, I put my hair into a tight bun. There's a hard knock on my door. I pull on the gi, hopefully, this won't be too suspicious of a color, "Come in."

"Hey, Princess," Ronin instantly heads over to the blueprints. Holding them up so he can see the lights through the paper, "How've you been?"

I strap my quiver on my hip, might as well, "Is your R.E.C.K. or is it, R.U.B.Y thingie ready?"

"Wow," he tosses the papers away, "You're icy." He folds his arms as I head out the door, "And R.E.X. is all ready to go. But um," he rubs his fingers together, "He might need a jumpstart."

Clouse appears but has a thin purplish glow around him, "You and your actions tonight will be rewarded later tonight." Clouse flickers a little as his snaps his eyes close.

"Trouble?"

"I'm not use to this spell." Clouse lifts his head up with an air of superiority, "Is your plan ready?"

"Yeah," I lean my back against the railing, Ronin folds his arms as Clouse holds a stiff position with his arms behind his back. Mabey if I go with a brighter color I'll get caught, arrested and sent to jail. I mean oh darn, I'll never see my father or that island again. Shoot. Focus, Skylor. Father is everywhere, he'll find ways to hurt me. "Ronin and I will take one of the food delivery truck out. Drive it around and 'break down' in front of Boarge tower. I'll go up to the front desk, ask for help, knock out the desk guy. And because the power is still mostly knocked out, we can take the elevator to the assembly line floor without being seen by the cameras."

Ronin nods, this probbly sounds a lot like one of his hit and run jobs that he's infamous for.

"Once we're there, we'll watch and wait... When I say go, we'll jump the robot, disable his visual and aoudaol sencesry nput, tuck him into a sack and head back down."

"So what'd ya need R.E.X. for?"

"In case we get caought early on." What eles would it be for? I keep myself from rolling my eyes, "We can have it rest outside the floor we'll be on."

Clouse rubs his chin, "And where am I during all of this?"

I saved the least important job for him, "You'll be the lookout." His face drops but slowly turns into a sneer, "Making sure none of the cameras come back on or we get any unwanted visitors."

"Fine." He folds his arms.

"We better get going," I head towards the delivery trucks, "We can't come back to the docks for a while. SO we'll go to the new restaurant my father opened."

Clouse huff and is obviously wanting to be in charge, "Not to be rude, but that sounds like a horrible plan."

"Well, suck it up," I unlock a truck, sliding into the passenger seat as I plug in the keys, "I'm the boss."