After Stoic's long ranting the riders returned to the edge with a extra party. Kai, despite being on a close team with Zane, did not speak a word to the boy in white when he had offered for him to ride on Shard. Kai had declined with a pointed glare and muttered some stuff in Ninjagian before riding with Hiccup back. It was very tense on the ride back and everyone was aware of some type of tension between Kai and Zane.
Once getting back to the edge Zane had made a comment saying on how impressive it was and asked if it was possible for a tour looking at Kai hopefully. The one in red handed Zane to Fish-legs and walked away to who knows where to do who knows what. The face Zane had made was one that could be compared to a sad Meat-lug. Hiccup decided to break the tension. "So what exactly happened between you and him?" Hiccup asks.
Zane sighs and sat in a chair staring out at the distance. "We were going on missions none stop and he messed up on one and we took our anger out on him," Zane said clearly leaving out way to much detail with how quiet he was. "What type of mission was this anyway?" Snot-lout asks. "That is classified," Zane responds robotically. The riders exchanged looks that Zane noticed, but chose to ignore. "If you do not mind could you please inform me on this Viggo grim-born?" Zane asks politely.
No one really spoke, but looked at Hiccup because it was clear this question was directed at him. "Well he runs a dragon hunting operation with his older brother Ryker there as muscle. They sell dragons both living and dead and it's our mission to free them," Hiccup explains. "Makes sense since dragons can be a very formidable weapon, but not everyone would be able to capture one. A business such as that is formable and dangerous," Zane said before heaving a heavy sigh. "Which means a large network to look for the others on," Zane said looking out the door in the distance worry evident for his team.
"Well we know Viggo does have a strong network, but we promise we will find them," Hiccup promises. Zane gives Hiccup a smile. "I'm glad Kai found his biological family, but I would like to go over your history. While you may be biologically related Kai is still my family and I do not care who you are my priority is to protect everyone I can and while you may find my current words threatening I need you to understand this is for his own good," Zane said his voice icy.
The riders looked at each other and Hiccup said. "Guys could you please leave me alone with him?" Hiccup asks. "Hiccup we are not leaving you alone with this stranger," Astrid said. "If it makes you feel better you may ask questions concerning me," Zane compromises. Before anyone could accept or deny Tuff-nut took his chance and pushed himself to the front of the group.
"Can you make a ice sculpture of me?" He asks. Zane blinks and for a moment does not move processing what he just heard. Then he does as Tuff asks and made a sculpture of him made of ice. Tuff-nut was in awe. "I have never seen such beautiful ice in my life," he said and kisses the ice him. When he tried pulling away though his face was stuck to it. It was too no ones surprise really and Zane is nervous about leaving Kai with people like this if this was the intelligence level of this realm.
"Uhh? A little help?" Tuff-nut asks lips still stuck to the ice him. "I only make ice you'll need to wait for that to thaw out," Zane said. "Come on bro," Ruff-nut said pulling her twin along to go somewhere.
"Anything else?" Zane asks. "What metal are you made off?" Fish-legs asks. "Titanium," Zane answers. "I've never heard of that type," Fish-legs said. "It's the toughest metal Ninjago has to offer," Zane replies.
"How many more are there of you?" Heather asks. "What do you mean?" Zane asks. "Well you were clearly built which means you can be built again. How many of you have been built?" Heather asks. "None I am unique I have a power source that cannot be replicated," Zane said. "Cool," Snot-lout said honestly uninterested and wondered why he was still here. "You know what? Have fun I'm going to take a nap with Hook-fang," Snot-lout said leaving.
There were more questions from Hiccup, Fish-legs, Astrid, and Heather and Zane got very uncomfortable at some of them. Hiccup was polite and assured Zane if he felt uncomfortable answering a question then he doesn't have to answer whereas the two ladies and Fish-legs weren't very happy with this. The ladies saw Zane as a threat and wanted to know everything whereas Fish-legs wanted to know exactly how he worked and the white ninja did not always feel comfortable answering. When it became clear Zane would not answer their questions about Ninja-go's weapons or his destructive capabilities they left leaving the three boys alone.
"And does that mean it doesn't matter if you got hurt?" Fish-legs asks. Zane does not like this question at all. "I matter just as much as anyone else if something happened to me. I still feel pain and I am able to be taken out," Zane said. "But if your mechanical can't you just rebuild yourself?" Fish-legs said. "I can't just be rebuilt," Zane said. "Why not?" Hiccup phrased his question as more curious, but Fish-legs said it at the same time and it was more clinical and judgemental though it was unclear if Fish-legs realized this.
"I just can't be," Zane replies tensely. "But clearly," Fish-legs began. "I can't be!" Zane replies his chair freezing over and he clenches his fists. "But anything can be rebuilt and," Fish-legs begins.
"Shut up Fish-face!" Everyone looks to the source of the voice and saw Kai had been hiding in the rafters the entire time with Ember sleeping on his lap.
"That is a very touchy subject matter and I will make one thing clear. Zane can feel pain and as I am sure you do not want to go through dying. You make any comment on Zane being expendable just because he could be rebuilt I will burn your precious books got it?" Kai asks a deadly glare. Fish-legs quickly nodded his head and ran for his hut terrified of what Kai would do to him.
Zane smiles up at Kai. "Thank you firefly," Zane said and Kai scoffs looking away. "Whatever and don't call me that," Kai said. Zane hung his head and Hiccup could see tension so he breaks it. "So you wanted to ask questions about me?" Hiccup asks pealing Zane's interest.
"Yes and if you feel uncomfortable with any of it just tell me," Zane said. Hiccup nodded as Zane starts. "So to start off what is Berk's history? Regarding battles or legends? Or dragons?" Zane asks. "Well Berk is known as a hooligan tribe and used to hunt and kill dragons for sport," this gives Zane a pause and a raised eyebrow. "Then when I was a boy I found Tooth-less who had been shot down in the forest. As far as we know he is the only Night-Fury," Hiccup explains. "And do you know who shot Tooth-less down? And why were you out in the woods in the first place? As the son of a chief I would expect someone like you to accompany your father to all official business," Zane said quite frankly. Hiccup is a little quiet and looked at Tooth-less.
"Well I shot him down. I was a disappointment to say the least. I had no muscle and couldn't even lift a weapon so the village of Berk preferred to pretend I did not exist. They wanted someone more like Kai as their next leader," Hiccup gestures to Kai above as he continues. "So one night during a dragon attack I had built a catapult that knocked Tooth-less out of the sky. No one had ever killed a night-fury before so I thought if I killed a night-fury and brought his heart to my father than I would finally be respected and seen as someone that dad could be proud of," Hiccup looked wistful. "How old were you?" Zane asks. "Twelve," Hiccup answers and Zane purses his lips looking at Kai once more.
"What happened when you found Toothless?" Zane asks. Hiccup looks at his dragon. "I looked into his eyes and saw he was scared. He was scared as me and I set him free, but then he didn't kill me. That's how it all started I was curious and despite what everyone said saying that dragons were merciless creatures that could never be tamed and only killed I stubbornly ignored it," Hiccup said.
"Kai's the same he is too stubborn to listen to us even for his own good," Zane said the last part a little louder clearly directing it at Kai.
"Anyway when I shot Tooth-less down I took out his tail fin. Now he can't fly without someone riding him," Hiccup said. "Was that the same time you lost your leg?" Zane asks. "Not exactly," Hiccup said and told the story of how he lost his leg and what kind of followed after.
By the time he was done Zane was pretty invested.
"I see how your Kai's twin you are both pretty similar, but I understand how it could be a sensitive subject, but what happened to your mother?" Zane asks. It was quiet and Kai realized he had never actually asked that himself what happened to his mother. He was told about what she was like and who she was, but never actually what happened to her. After a moment Hiccup answers. "From what I was told a dragon took off with her when we were babes. I now know it was also the night Kai had been taken," Hiccup finishes.
Zane looks to Kai who's silent. "I'm glad you found your other family Kai," Zane said sincerely. "Whatever Snowflake," Kai mutters. Zane realized it was getting late and got up. "As a thank you for your service I will cook tonight," Zane said. "You don't have too," Hiccup tries. "Just accept it he's going to cook no matter what you say," Kai said.
Hiccup still tries to dissuade Zane, but he just went ahead and cooked.
Later
All the riders were attracted to the food later that night and Tuff, lips now freed, asked. "Awww yes! Is Heather cooking?"
"Tuff I'm right here," Heather said like it was obvious. Tuff was confused looking around and saw everyone there including Kai. "Then who's?" Tuff began when he enters the club house and saw the set up.
Zane was placing the last plate down and looks up smiling. "Hello I decided to cook as a sorry for trying to kill you all," He said cheerfully despite the sentence. Everyone was hesitant, but the twins were the first to sit down and the meal they were blessed with had them drooling.
Their meals were yak bites with gravy and bacon wrapped in vegetables. While they were unsure about the vegetables Ruff took a bite and her eyes lit up. "This is delicious! Way better than Heather's cooking," Ruff-nut said mouth still full and giving Heather a reason to scowl. Tuff took his bite and agreed very verbally. "These don't even taste like vegetables," He said. "Yes it's a meal I usually make when someone won't take their medication," Zane said. "As if the kid was going to take the pill when he got the flu," Kai said with a eye roll.
Fish-legs was next and found his meal was different. It was consistent of turkey and when he poked a fork at it the leg spilled something from it. "That's a filling to give it a taste, but it does not affect the texture," Zane said seeing the hesitance on his face. Fish-legs saw the twins digging in and took his own bite and his eyes lit up at the tastes. "This is good," He agrees.
Snot-lout and Hiccup came over next and had different meals. Snot-lout had a mouth watering meal of fresh warm bread and it had a stuffing of meat with veggies on the side. He happily dug in with no hesitation because just the smell made his stomach rumble. Hiccup's meal was consisting of smoked trout and some sort of sauce. Hiccup ate his share and loved it. "Delicious Astrid are you going to join?" Hiccup asks looking at the blond Viking girl behind them. She looks at Heather who just shrugs hungry and went and sat down eating a more simple meal of Yak meat. Astrid gave in and went to go eat some chicken though only took little bites and was looking at Zane suspiciously.
"Kai?" Zane asks looking at the red ninja hopefully. Kai glares at Zane, but his hunger won over and he sat down at the only spot left. Zane sat next to him looking at him hopefully since he spent the most time and hard work on Kai's meal. It was cut up fish wrapped in dried seaweed and covered in spices that would make a normal person run for the nearest water source. Kai loves spices and Zane is really just trying to win his heart back. Albeit he will be wanting the others to help once they find them.
"You going to eat?" Zane asks. "Not hungry," Kai answers crossing his arms. "But you haven't eaten all day. You need to eat fire," Zane began. "Don't call me that," Kai hisses and everyone pauses eating to stare at the two. "Kai please I am only," Zane began getting cut off again. "I'm not forgiving you for what you and the others put me through Zane and nothing is going to change that no matter how much you try," Kai snaps and got up leaving the Club house.
It was a long awkward silence that followed. Zane was tense and sad. "So? What did you put him through?" Heather asks. Zane sighs. "We used him and our other teammate as bait on a mission. We were mad because he didn't stick to protocol and got himself and our team leader badly injured. We got into a fight with him and in the end we made him feel unwanted and unloved which resulted in him leaving," Zane explains regretfully.
"What was this mission?" Hiccup asks. "You wouldn't understand," Zane said. "Try us," Fish-legs said. Zane sighs. "It was a drug testing lab that was illegal. We were charged with taking out the operation, but things went south when we realized they were expecting us. When that happens the plan is to pull out except Kai went against protocol," Zane said. "I remember he mentioned this. He saw someone about to attack you?" Hiccup asks and Zane nods. "I saw them as well and was prepared to deal with it. Kai got in front of me though and took a slash to the stomach," Zane said and they saw the fear in his eyes at the mention. "He was supposed to be covering Lloyd not me. So when he covered me instead it left Lloyd open to attack and he was gassed by a poisonous gas," Zane's fists clenched.
"Both of them nearly died because of Kai not sticking to protocol. Lloyd was quick to forgive once we got him the antidote, but they were both so close to dying," Zane sucks in a deep breath. "We just got so mad at him and took it too far and now we are paying the price for it," Zane said.
"Well if you ask me you really should talk it out with him instead of trying to bribe him," Hiccup said. "Or hypnotize him into forgetting about it works on Fish-Face," Snot-lout said. "It does," Fish-legs began when Snot-lout snaps his fingers and Fish-legs fell face first into the food asleep before bolting up again confused.
"I believe I am going to just sleep for now hopefully we can find the rest of my team soon," Zane said and left them to their meals.
They all continued eating and after a few minutes Kai came back and ate his share. "Where did you go?" Astrid asks. "I was just waiting for Zane to leave," Kai answers. "You going to forgive them?" Heather asks.
Kai gives a small smirk.
"Maybe if they beg hard enough,"