***We do love updates :D

I should have enough time for two chapters today, but I'm not making any promises. I've been sidetracked (in a good way) recently with random dinner plans/Halloween parties/homework/etcetera, so now that I officially sort of have a little bit of a social life, my update schedule is THWARTED.

You all have been so supportive though, so thank you <3

Also, I think this is the first chapter I've written in a few weeks without a Jaya POV. I mean, there's obviously Jaya in here - this is me we're talking about - but it's indirect. Next chapter will have a little more...

And this song - it more applies to Seliel than anyone else, as you know she waited for her change for a long while back in TOG. But it also applies to the ninja, since they face so much trauma and basically just have to do their best to fight it.

But yeah. So here we go, and I hope you like 😘***

***(Seliel's POV)***

***Music Cue***

You know that feeling you get when one moment, you're telling your boyfriend you'll be gone for a half-hour shower, and the next, you come out and he's in a heap on the kitchen floor?

Because that's exactly what I'm experiencing right now.

Now, I am not the kind of girl who screams when she sees blood or disturbing images or anything like that. I crave horror movies and stories and whatnot. So when I came out to see Cole on the floor, I actually reacted pretty well. I checked his pulse and all, but he seemed fine.

Then I tried to wake him up, and there was no response.

My first thought was to check the stove and see if he'd poisoned himself with his horrible cooking. My man may be sexy, but he'd never make a good househusband.

When I realized the stove was clear, I was out of ideas for what had happened to him, so I ran to the bunkroom and got Zane. He examined Cole and found that he's in some sort of a deep slumber. And, as Zane put it, it's magical.

That made no sense until he hypothesized that perhaps this was the work of Nadakhan and Pythor.

And that's when he realized we needed to have a team meeting.

Right now, I'm plopped down beside Cole in the floor, a little uncertain. I mean, Zane said he'd be okay, it's just...

Cole was the one who got me help for my eating disorder. He's always been a great friend to me, too. And for the past month and a half, he's been more than a friend.

It's just weird, seeing him like this. And I want him back.

Nya stalks into the kitchen, fury written over her features. "Lloyd. Nadakhan must've taken Lloyd. That's why he hasn't called or texted us since last night, and that's why he never came home." Her fists clench, and she plops down beside me. "Who all is here right now? Me, Jay, Sel, Zane..." Her eyes bug, and she stands upright. "Kai!"

She goes running out of the kitchen just as Jay and Zane walk in. The former turns and goes after her, yelling, "Nya, we're not supposed to be alone!"

Zane seats himself at the kitchen counter, his expression pensive. "Unfortunately, we have lost both Lloyd and Cole, the typical leadership roles for our team. It will be incredibly difficult for us to properly formulate plans and execute missions until they return."

I huff. "How'd we even get here? The foster care system up and tells me I'm allowed to come live with you guys again, I meet Cole at the door, and I tell him we'll hang out after I shower. I come out half an hour later – I had to take an extended shower, since the foster home I was staying at did not have all my beauty products I've come to depend on. Plus, it's difficult to bathe when you're not supposed to put weight on one of your legs. When I come to the kitchen after my shower, I find Cole on the floor, looking like he's dead. None of this makes sense." I shake my head.

"It was most likely the work of Nadakhan, since he attempted to get Nya to make wishes this morning," Zane informs me.

"Then I'm going to murder him." I heave a sigh.

"I'm afraid you may have trouble doing that," Zane replies. "We've been pursuing Nadakhan the past few weeks, and he is incredibly difficult to track down. I believe our only hope may be to locate Pythor's building project on the Dark Island."

Zane got the Dark Island lead from PIXAL this morning, apparently. I could care less. I just want things to be right in life again.

Nya trudges back in, her face contorted as she drags her half-awake brother along.

"Kai," she huffs, "you scared the life out of me! How did you not wake up when Seliel came to get Zane? You're a ninja!"

Jay runs in behind her. "Gosh, Nya, slow down!" he cries. "We're supposed to stick together!"

"I didn't mean to," she bites out. "I'm just fed up with Kai."

Speaking of her brother, he stumbles over to the chair beside Zane and practically flops onto the table. "My head feels weird," he mumbles.

Jay places his hands on Nya's shoulders. "I understand that you're upset, Nya. I am, too. But we can't lose any team members whom we have left."

She sighs and looks over at Zane. "We need to get to the Dark Island as soon as possible."

"I agree," he replies. "I will ask PIXAL for aid. We will need to take a sea vessel for this mission – I do not believe our jet has the fuel capacity to bring us all the way to the Dark Island without stopping, and there will be nowhere for us to refuel at along the way. We would additionally have the issue of getting back."

"Where the heck are we supposed to get a boat?" Nya asks.

We all think for a moment.

Jay's features suddenly brighten. "My bio-dad – he likes sea ships. I bet he has one we can use!"

Zane gives a curt nod. "Will you call him to ask for his participation in this endeavor?"

Jay nods, drawing his phone from his pocket.

Nya grabs her own device. "I need to call Skylor, since Kai's apparently too exhausted to do it. I'm sure she'll help us."

"Excellent," Zane replies. "So for our mission, our proposed team members – and honorary members – are me, PIXAL, Nya, Jay, Skylor, and Kai. And Seliel – unfortunately, we have no choice but to bring her, given that she is associated with our team and thus is a target." He frowns. "We should bring one more person. With an even number of crewmates, we can assign partners to stick together to avoid negative interactions with Nadakhan."

I shrug. "You guys are my only friends besides Eve back in Nom. I don't know of any mission-ready person to come with us."

"Cyrus Borg?" Jay suggests, covering the speaker on his phone with his fingers.

Zane shakes his head. "Though his mind is brilliant, his self-defense skills are lacking. He oftentimes depends on PIXAL for security."

"Misako?" Nya suggests.

"Misako is not a warrior," Zane answers. "Though she is associated with our team as Seliel is, I assume she will be fine on her own. She does not have the foster care system ready to take her away at a moment's notice without proper guardianship. Besides, Misako has never participated in a mission. Seliel came with us to observe the factory in Nom, so she is more of a target for Pythor and Nadakhan. Taking Misako with us only further endangers her by getting her involved with our mission."

That's when it comes to me: the one person I can think of who might help.

"Harumi Jade."

Everyone freezes and looks at me.

Nya stops right in the middle of her heated conversation with Skylor and swears.

"Lloyd still visits her in prison," I go on. "Maybe she'd be willing to come with us to save him. Plus, she's got fighting skills, from what I hear."

Nya swallows a bitter taste in her mouth. "You're joking."

Jay looks sick. He says into his phone, "Dad, can I put you on hold?" Then, he turns to us. "But Harumi basically killed my birth mom! You don't know how many nights I've stayed up trying to reason out why anyone would do something like that!"

Nya brushes a hand over his arm, turning her back to me. "It's okay. It was a stupid idea."

I raise my eyebrows. "No, it was not. Dang, girl, get over your prejudice and look at the facts. Didn't Nadakhan betray Harumi or something? Back when the Sons of Garmadon were around? She'd probably be willing to help us catch him. We'd just need to keep her on a really tight leash."

"I am not prejudiced!" Nya exclaims. "I have good reason for not liking Harumi. No matter how mixed my feelings are toward Lloyd, he's still my teammate, and she messed up bad and hurt him. And just think of what she's done to Jay!"

"Says the girl who fake-dated him when he was hopelessly in love with her just to get her brother off her back."

Nya sputters. "That's not the same! I didn't mean to hurt him! I didn't know Jay had feelings for me!"

"You are so clueless," I smirk, knowing I have her mental wheels churning.

"Am not!"

Zane tries to defuse the situation. "Seliel does have a good point about Harumi being of possible help, Nya."

She snaps her fingers. "Mystaké! Try Mystaké. At least we know she won't betray us!"

"She's out of town for the week," Zane puts in. "PIXAL and I spent much time with her while you were asleep yesterday afternoon. As soon as you awoke, she began packing for a trip to the facility from which she purchased the Eterni-tea you drank. I believe her intent was to derive a refund."

"And no one has her number so we can call her up?!" Nya yells.

"She does not have a phone other than the landline associated with her shop and the work cell phone she only carries during the school year," Zane responds.

I frown. "How does she get away with that? Principals still have work to do during the summer."

Zane hitches a shoulder. "She told PIXAL and me yesterday that she only corresponds through carrier pigeon or landline throughout the entire summer. I suppose her services as a principal are in such demand, her lack of communication skills can be overlooked."

"Ronin!" Nya exclaims. "What about Ronin?"

I stifle a laugh. "He's even less trustworthy than Harumi. At least Harumi's out for Nadakhan's blood, so you don't have to worry about her betraying you until after he's subdued. Ronin? He'll switch sides for the right price at any given moment, from what I've heard."

"None of us trust Rumi at all!" Nya cries. "Not even Lloyd trusts her, and he's apparently in love with her still. Look, this is a dumb idea."

"Then we shall take a vote," Zane declares. "I vote we talk to Warden Noble and bring Harumi with us on our journey. Seliel?"

"Yes. It was my genius idea in the first place," I smirk.

Nya scowls. "No way."

Kai's half-asleep on the counter, so Nya swats him in the shoulder. "Wake up, Kai! Are we bringing Harumi with us or not?"

"Not," he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. "She's evil."

"There!" Nya cries triumphantly. "We win. Harumi's not coming."

Zane holds up a finger. "Jay has not yet voted, Nya."

She laughs. "Look, Jay hates Harumi just as much as I do. He doesn't even need to – "

Jay places a hand on her shoulder. "I vote we bring Harumi with us."

Her eyes bug, but instead of fire lighting her tone, her voice comes out...soft. "What? W-why?"

"Because it's true that we can trust her to help us stop Nadakhan. We can trust the side of her that wants revenge." He shakes his head. "I don't like her at all, Nya, but...I hate to say it, but we might need her."

She narrows her eyes, trying to be unaffected by his unusually calm demeanor for speaking of villains who've hit close to home. However, her shoulders sag a moment later, and she turns to Zane.

"Call up Warden Noble, for all I care," she grumbles. "I guess we'd better get packing."

***(Harumi's POV)***

I look up as the warden enters my cell room, walking the long path toward my glass chamber.

Why is he here?

I paste on a smile and rearrange the pillows on my green bedspread, flopping back onto my mattress to avoid looking desperate for human interaction.

But that's exactly what I am – desperate. Lloyd didn't call me last night, nor has he done so this morning. It's...unusual for him.

"Miss Jade," the warden greets, standing before my cell with a look of disgust on his face.

I hum to myself. "What brings you here this morning, Warden Noble?"

"I'll be the one asking questions," he asserts. "Miss Jade, it appears someone – several someone's, actually – have requested your presence outside of prison."

I perk up at this. I haven't seen the outside world in months.

But also, the only people who could possibly get away with requesting me out of prison...

Are the ninja.

And they don't like me very much.

I swing my legs off the side of my bed, approaching the glass where the warden stands. "And why do the ninja have interest in me?"

"Hey! I'll do the asking here," he rumbles. "And you don't know that it's the ninja who want you out."

I eye him skeptically.

He clears his throat. "Okay, fine. The ninja need you for some mission. You'll be under their guard the whole time. You have the right to choose whether you join them or not."

"I think not." Like I'd want to face whatever torture they have in store for me. If Lloyd were the one getting me out, I would be fine, but his team? I'd hate to know their plans.

The warden gives me a curt nod. "They thought you'd say that, which is precisely why one of them – well, two, but not by choice – have decided to visit and persuade you to go." He says something over his phone and exits.

In walks Jay – the last person I would've expected to see here. I thought he would be happy to avoid me the rest of his life.

And right behind him is his loyal bodyguard, Nya Smith. Now her I would expect to see. She seems like the kind of person to occasionally visit villains in prison and tell them off for all the hurt they've put her through.

Jay takes a deep breath, obviously nervous. "Harumi, we need your help."

"No." I turn my back to him.

He clears his throat. "Lloyd's in trouble."

Surprise ripples through me, but I hide my expression and turn to face him. "And why should that convince me to help you?"

"Because Lloyd's always been there for you. He cares, and now it's your turn." Jay fingers the edge of his gi.

I hold my chin high and begin pacing my cell. "And you can't handle this situation yourselves?"

I can almost hear the anger radiating off Nya. "Look, Rumi, I get that you're an evil witch and all, but if you have any sort of a heart left, you'll come with us and help us save Lloyd."

"Nya," Jay says compassionately but firmly. "Don't hold every little thing Rumi's ever done against her right now. We need her help."

"I don't need anyone," Nya huffs. However, she stops her verbal assault against me.

I smile. "So tell me more about how I'm supposed to help you."

"You'll come with us to the Dark Island," Jay explains. "And you'll help us find a machine that – "

"You bore me with the particulars." Now tell me about what happened to Lloyd Garmadon.

Nya scoffs. "You literally just asked for us to explain to you – "

"Nya," Jay scolds again. "Be nice. Just because other people are rude doesn't mean we have to be."

"Jay, this is the girl who – "

"I know," he says, his voice pained. "I know what she's done. By golly, I know. But...but this is about our team, Nya."

She sighs, marching right up to the glass. "You get revenge against Nadakhan and get to save Lloyd from some horrible doom if you come with us."

My pacing stills.

Nadakhan's involved with this?

But more importantly...

Horrible doom?

I turn slightly toward Nya. "How do I know this isn't some ploy to get me out of prison and torture me for my wrongdoings? I'm a bad girl." I finger the glass.

"Yes, you are," Nya growls. "But unlike you, we don't just stab people in the back willy-nilly."

I raise an eyebrow. "I don't have any knives to stab with at the moment, if you didn't realize that."

"This is serious," Nya fumes.

Jay pulls her away from the glass. "Nya, fighting with her isn't going to help us."

"No, it won't," I agree. "Only I can choose to help you. And I choose...not to."

Nya's mouth hangs agape, and Jay bites his lip in worry. "Nya, don't do – "

"But I do choose to get revenge on Nadakhan," I continue, causing Jay's expression to brighten and Nya's to transform into a scowl.

And I also choose...to help Lloyd.

But no one else needs to know that.

***So now Sel is out for blood. And quite frankly, so is Nya. She's going to whoop Nadakhan's butt for that disgusting kiss.***