The ninja are out on the deck waiting for Niki and Julien to return from the lower deck. Zane hadn't realized but he'd been spacing off thinking about Niki while his friends were talking behind him.
"alright I'll be the one who says it then." Cole steps up to Zane. "listen me and the guys were talking and... we gotta know. What do you think about Niki?"
Zane looks at Cole and then shrugs. "why do you ask?"
"well it's just you've been a bit strange since this morning." Cole replies. "We just wondered if you were feeling ok."
"I am fine." Zane replies. "simply waiting to see the results of my father fixing her emotional problems."
"what exactly are you hoping for?" Jay questions.
"hoping for?" Zane says confused.
"well he means what are you expecting." Kai clarifies. "like when she comes out of there what do you think she'll be like?"
"or rather what do you hope to gain from bring her here." Cole nods.
"oh." Zane shrugs. "I suppose what I expect is that she'll be a lot like me and that would give us both somebody that we can talk to about our problems and such."
"like a couple?" Jay questions.
"like good friends." Zane replies. "sure I have you four to talk to but I still have problems which you could not begin to understand. Having somebody like me to talk to who has the same kinds of issues will be good."
"Well I for one think it's great." Nya replies cutting into the conversation. "I mean how often do you come across robots like Zane and Niki? Zane has always fit in with you boys because he understands being a ninja but at the end of the day none of us can understand what he's going through."
"You're very right Nya." Zane nods. "that is what I meant."
"she's a nindriod too." Jay crosses his arms while he puzzles. "I wonder if she has an elemental power as well. Like Zane has ice."
"well we all have elements." Kai shrugs. "I don't think being a ninja has anything to do with the element stuff but I'm sure it helps."
"I guess we'll just have to ask her." Cole shrugs.
-below deck-
Julien is looking at the pieces within Niki to see if she is functioning properly. "well this isn't a big deal but this box here seems to be damaged." He muses. "do you happen to know what it was for?"
Niki nods. "it was made to help me harness my power." She opens the top of her left arm and pulls a scroll out. "this was an old scroll my creator found a long time ago. It tells of the rise of a purple ninja who will one day be responsible for the fate of the entire world. He built me in the image of this hero." She opens the scroll revealing a story over the top of a drawing of a purple figure in ninja clothing. "when I started training in spinjitzu I found that I had the ability to bend energy into a beam, but because energy is unpredictable I couldn't control it." Niki glances down at the box and then points to it. "so Chesterfield created this box in order to regulate my ability so no one would get hurt. Unfortunately, all it does is keep me from drawing over 20% so I can't really use it for fighting."
Julien opens up the box and checks inside it. "well here's the issue right here. You've got it set to 20% if you need it higher you just have to move this lever here."
"oh." Niki smirks. "well I didn't even think to look in there. Last time I tinkered with myself I accidently shut myself off."
"that would be unfortunate." Julien chuckles. "regardless I can replace your missing humor switch and..."
"what?" Niki questions.
"Zane is a descendant of sorts to the ice master of the past." He muses for a moment. "I didn't realize a purple element even existed."
-in another room-
Garmadon, Wu, and Misako are talking in the main room.
"so you've gathered five of the elemental masters now Wu." Garmadon states. "any idea where the others might be?"
(shhhh I looked this up. I don't plan to use the characters or whatever but I did want to mention the elements you'll see why later.)
"I'm afraid not." Wu sighs. "water, metal, light, speed, smoke, mind, gravity, nature, sound, poison, shadow, form, amber wind, and time are still lost to us."
"seems like an awful lot of hassle." Garmadon shrugs. "do we actually need them?"
"not currently." Wu replies. "in fact I don't think we need them at all. With Lloyd harnessing energy and the rest holding the main elements I'm sure we have plenty enough power wise."
"are you going to tell the ninja about this?" Misako questions glancing at a scroll on the table.
"there is no point in getting them all worked up right now we still don't know when this will happen." Wu reminds them. "It may take years before these events even begin."
"the scroll tells that the five will encounter a great darkness unlike anything they have faced before." Misako reads the scroll. "and that the five will fail alone. That doesn't seem like a concern?"
"while it does Misako I also believe the boys have earned some rest." Wu replies. "don't forget they might be ninja but they are still alive."
"very well." Misako nods. "we'll tell them later."
-meanwhile-
Far away on Pluto a dark mist begins to seep from the planet surface.
-later-
The boys are still all outside on deck training while Zane waits by the door. He is anxious but knows better than to just walk in. Jay picks up a small rock and tosses it at Zane it bounces off his head unnoticed.
"why'd you do that?" Kai questions.
Jay raises an eyebrow. "dude... he's just been standing there for hours."
"you think maybe he's broken?" Cole questions.
As the boys speak the door to the lower deck opens and Julien steps out wiping oil off his hands with a cloth.
"well?" Zane asks.
"the operation was a complete success." Julien smirks looking at the door. "how do you feel now Niki?"
Niki steps out onto the deck and smiles. "I feel great thanks. It feels good to be all in one piece again."
Zane doesn't notice but this causes him to smirk a bit.
Jay nudges Kai's arm. "dude check out the face." He mumbles.
Kai looks at Zane and nods. "yeah I think he's got it pretty bad alright."
"but they just met?" Cole says pushes his head in between Jay and Kai so they can whisper as a group.
"well you've liked Nya since the two of you met." Kai replies glancing at Jay.
"that's true." Jay nods. "but I'm pretty sure that is different."
"no I think it's the same thing." Kai nods. "we should tell him what we think."
"no!? are you insane!?" Jay hisses. "don't tell him you know. I remember how I felt when you guys found out about my feelings... it just made it more difficult for me to figure out what was real. Plus you kept picking on me. Zane is different he needs to figure it out himself. After he does then we'll tell him."
"You're right Jay." Cole replies. "we wouldn't want him to misunderstand. It's probably best if we let him figure it out."
Julien shoves his rag in his pocket. "I replaced her humor switch along with some new wires in her arms and of course fixing her power box."
"power box?" Zane questions.
"oh my element box was damaged." Niki replies. "but it was just the door hinge. The doctor fixed it for me."
"element box!?" All the ninja say at the same time.
"Plasma." Niki nods. "I'm not sure how I came about the ability but I do know that of all the great masters of the past none of them were plasma."
"a new element?" Cole questions.
"no way." Kai puzzles. "maybe just a forgotten element."
"in any case" Jay steps forward. "since you are a ninja and you have an element I think you should talk to Wu about joining us here."
"You really want me to stay?" Niki smiles.
"sure." Kai nods. "just don't beat us up alright." He chuckles, and so does everyone else except Zane and Niki who don't quite get the joke.
"oh and while you're there be sure you show Misako the scrolls you have. She loves research and things like that." Julien chuckles and makes his way back to his room.
"scrolls?" Lloyd questions.
"oh just some stories about the purple hero." Niki replies. "it's nothing but a story but Julien seemed to think it was interesting."
2?5