We managed infiltrate the facility without detection. The nindroids weren't guarding the area and we were able to slip through. Now the six of us need to figure out how to find the kill switch to the power.
"That's the substation's core" Nya whispered as she pointed to the large beam of light secured behind glass. "Shut that down and it's lights out for the Overlord." The girl looked around at the control panels warily "Now if only we knew which switch."
We each split up to different parts of the room tapping away at different control panels. Jay pressed a button turning on the radio. He perked up as he listened to the music that played. "Hey I love this song" he smiled as he moved his head along with the beat.
"Turn it off! They can't know we're here!" Kai whisper shouted over to him.
My brother scoffed before switching it off "Buzzkill."
The process of finding the correct switch was taking longer.
"None of these buttons are doing anything" Cole groaned in frustration "There has to be an easier way."
Kai stood before the core energy beam. "Yeah, like maybe hack the system?" He wondered aloud as he drew his techno blade. Nothing happened when he slammed the blade against the hard glass. "Argh! Stupid technology!" He grumbled when nothing happened.
I stared at the fire ninja with a small glare.
Cole drew his own techno blade saying "This can't be harder than it looks." The earth ninja struck the glass but his blade bounced off the glass. The force of the swing ricocheted through the hilt, sending a jitter through his body.
"Okay, definitely harder." Cole winced in pain.
"Stop hitting the glass. You can't hack it" I told the two as I continued pressing some buttons. I also searched for a key or a shutdown code.
"At least they're actually trying to help Asteria" Nya grumbled at me irritably.
I was taken back by Nya's hostility, but I stayed quiet and continued searching.
"Button, button, who's got the button?" My brother muttered frantically as he pressed all of the buttons in front of him.
"Would you be quiet" Cole hushed him.
Jay bickered with the earth ninja "I am being quiet, you be quiet."
Moments later the alarm was set off. Red lights flashed around the room as a siren sounded.
"Nindroids! Our cover is blown!" Nya gasped when she checked one of the cameras outside the door. "Seal the doors and find a way to shut it down" she told all of us to make haste.
Cole sealed the door but somehow a small nindroid managed to get through the vents. The mini nindroid clutched his silver sword to fight.
Jay facepalmed "Great. Now they come in fun size!"
~~~
In the end, the six of us destroyed the power source shutting down all of the power in Ninjago. All of the nindroids in the network powered down including Pixal. Hopefully this will put us at an advantage against the Overlord.
With no power, the city was pitch black in the distance. Looking out at the landscape it looked eerie when there is only the darkness of the night. The only light left was the moon and the stars to guide the way.
~~~
After the others and I fled from the power plant, we found refuge at mine and Jay's parent's junkyard. This was after spending half the night walking there. I still had my motorcycle but it's not like I could fit everyone on it.
I found Pixal's body in the piles of powered down nindroids. I insisted on taking her despite the ninja's protests. Once I can get her some power then I could release her from the Overlord's influence. I ended up carrying her lifeless on my back all the way to the junkyard.
Cole helped keep me up and helped carry the android when I was starting to get tired.
We made it to the junkyard and took refuge for the night. It is now the next day and everyone was digging for scrap to build a ride back to the city.
"So glad you guys could visit us Asteria, if only on better conditions though..." My mom said to me as I plopped a car battery down next to Pixal's body.
"Sorry for barging in mom. We had nowhere else to go" I apologized as I strapped the car battery to Pixal's back like a backpack.
Now all I needed were some cables to hook it up. I hoped this would be enough until I could get the android back to the city.
"It's all good dearie, I hope you and your brother have been well though" Edna smiled as she handed me the cables I needed. I smiled as I hooked them up to the car battery.
"As good as we can be I guess" I hummed as I connected the other ends to the open panel in Pixal's back. I drew my hand back sharply as the android burst to life.
She lifted her head as her red eyes scowled at my golden eyes. I wore a bored expression as I grabbed Cole's techno blade. "Be gone foul virus" I uttered before bonking the android on the head with the blade.
Pixal stiffened as her eyes turned back to their original green ones. "What?" She gasped looking around bewildered. "Where am I? Why is a car battery strapped to me?" She asked as she tried to grab the box.
I held up a hand patting her on the head reassuringly "Welcome back Pix" I smiled softly at the android.
Her shoulders relaxed as a small, albeit awkward smile formed on her face. "It's good to see you are well Mi- I mean, Asteria."
I held out a hand, pulling the android to her feet. Pixal stumbled for a moment, not used to the weight on her back, but I helped her stay steady.
I introduced Pixal to my mother, the two already getting along famously as I stood off to the side. Looking around I watched two piles of scrap collapse followed by the sounds of screams.
Leaving the two I ran over only to find Cole and Kai digging themselves out from the junk. "Did you two pull from the bottom?" I chuckled as they stared up at me.
"Can you help us out?" Kai frowned as he was too annoyed to admit what they did.
"Sure thing hot head" I teased before pulling the two out with all my strength.
As they got to their feet dusting themselves off, Cole noticed a vehicle parked next to the trailer as Scout and Indie layed next to it. "What's a van doing here?" The earth ninja asked as he approached it.
"That's Asteria's car. Ed fixed up the engine and gave it a quick wash" Edna told the two before tossing me my keys.
I bought this van as a sort of movable home. It has a dark gray exterior and only two seats in the front. The rest of the vehicle was converted into a small living space.
"Woah, why get a compact jiggly converted compressor when we could just take this back to New Ninjago City" Kai smiled as I unlocked the van and opened the door.
"It's called a compact converted jiggly compressor Kai and we already found one" Jay said as Zane, Ed and him walked up with the part in hand.
I stepped inside my small home and found everything exactly where I left it. My bed neatly made a storage boxes still stacked up against one another. I left the led lights off and found no food in the mini fridge.
Zane peaked his head through the doorway. "Is it possible we can all ride this back New Ninjago City?" He inquired curiously examining the small space.
I walked out and shut the door behind me. "We can. Engine is still good, but I don't know if we can fit everyone inside" I replied leaning my back against the side of the vehicle. "We'll need to fix up the hovercopter after all."
Kai and Cole let out an annoyed sigh before slowly trudging back to the scrap piles looking for the next part.
I noticed my brother about to follow but paused. He looked down making eye contact with a black pastel snake. He froze in place as it tilted its head at him.
"There's a snake on my shoe!" Jay screamed before frantically shaking the creature off his foot and hiding behind Nya.
"What's a snake doing here?" Cole asking stepping away as my dad picked up the creature.
"It's not just any snake son. This is Iris" he smiled as the black pastel snake nuzzled his hand affectionately. "We found her by herself in the desert."
Iris stared at me intently with two black beady eyes. The mouth that was shaped like a puppy's smile grew wider as it took in my features.
"Asteria!" She chimed surprising the others and I.
"It spoke!" Nya gasped as the others stared at the creature wide eyed.
"Do you recognize her Asteria? She's asked about you ever since she found out we knew you" Edna asked as I stared into Iris's eyes.
Nothing came to mind when I looked at this black pastel snake. Then it finally clicked in my mind. Rustling in my bag I found my album and opened it. Flipping through the pages I knew there was something familiar about this snake.
I showed everyone the page I flipped to. In the picture it showed Iris resting on my shoulders, both smiling at the camera.
"It's us" Iris gestured to the screen with a smile.
"I guess she's your pet from before you lost your memories" Cole noted as he scratched at his head. The evidence was enough proof.
My dad held the black pastel snake out to me asking "Would you like to hold her? Maybe it will jog something?"
I weren't even given a chance to grab the snake. Iris was bubbling with excitement, jumping from Ed's hands and into mine.
Cradling the snake in my hands I looked to Ed and Edna for help on how to hold her. Meanwhile Iris was nuzzling her head against my neck lovingly as if we've been apart for a long time.
~~~
Everyone went back to work gathering materials for the hovercopter's repairs. I was left alone to reacquaint myself with Iris. The black pastel snake may remember everything, but I have no memories of our shared past.
Pixal stayed to keep us both company. The android and I sat on the ground, watching Iris wrap her body around my arm.
"I've never seen a snake talk besides the Serpentine" Pixal noted as she observed.
I nodded in agreement as Iris slithered off my body. She sat before Pixal tilting her head before moving into the android's lap.
Pixal looked up at me confused "What am I suppose to do?"
Shrugging my shoulders I say "Pet her? She likes head pats."
The android tilted her head and stiffly hovered her hand over Iris's head. She stiffened when the black pastel snake pressed her snout against her hand.
Pixal examined her scales noting "She looks like a ball python, a very rare one in fact."
As I watched the two interact, the gears in my head turned. Since Iris knew me from my past, she might be the key to helping me track down the man and maybe my memories. Pulling out my album again, I flipped to a page that showed the faceless man, the blue skinned woman, Iris and me altogether.
I showed it to Iris and watched her features brighten up. How can a snake be so expressive?
"Papa! Mama!" She chirped and gestured to the man and woman with the end of her tail. "Family" she sighed staring deeply into my eyes.
My hand froze at her words, taking them in slowly. I just now got confirmation that this man is indeed my father. A part of the family I left behind.
Pixal stared at the photo intently "Who are they Asteria? They're not registered in the Ninjago City's network" she said looking at me confused.
Hearing this, I could feel my heart twisting in my chest as it pumped in my ears. Putting away my album, I didn't realize my hand was shaking. There was so much I didn't know about a life I had lived and lost.
"Iris where are those two now? Why weren't you with them?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Iris's expression changed as she looked away "They're gone..." Her tone quiet and reserved.
"What do you mean?" I asked already knowing the foul answer to my question.
"Departed..." Iris's voice diminished but that was all I could make out.
I let out a deep sigh, not realizing I was holding my breath in anticipation. "That kind of gone..." I hummed as I stared at my hands.
Pixal grew quiet as she lowered her head. There was nothing she could say, she didn't know how to comfort me.
Iris slithered out of her lap and back into mine. Nestling against my body in an effort to comfort me.
I remained calm and stoic as I processed the information. I have no memories of the time I spent with my father or mother. I felt bad because they are my biological family, but I feel nothing for people I've seen in pictures and blurry dreams.
In my mind I was apathetic to the words of their loss. My heart does ache at the idea that I might never recover who I once was.
It seems like Iris, Scout, Indie, Ed, Edna and Jay are my only remaining family. No one is waiting for me to come home somewhere else. Would it even matter if there is no one missing me?
Lastly, I feared that the person that all of my friends know now, the one that has laughed and fought by their sides, isn't actually who I truly am.
~~~
Author's Edit: Oct 12, 2023
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