KAI

Despite his best efforts to appear discreet, Kai still looked suspicious. No one casually placed themselves by the doors of the brig, hunched over with their ear pressed against the steel hatch. Not unless you were spying on your sister and her boyfriend. 

'Project Avian' was set behind the doorway. Kai glared at the 'do not disturb, engineer at work' sign that was hung up on the hatch. The sign was a gift from Jay's parents to Nya. They made it from old license plates, that they required over the years. Jay's parents shouldn't be giving his little sister gifts.

Kai squinted through the small gap in the door. No matter how many times he tried that, he still couldn't see anything.

Lloyd had told Kai many times: "The only thing behind those doors were half-finished vehicles." It made perfect sense that the two most mechanically inclined people on the team were building vehicles. But Kai knew that Jay and Nya couldn't just be working on vehicles.

Kai knew he was being creepy. He should leave Jay and Nya alone. Yet, he found it impossible to pull himself from the door to the brig. It was like a magnetic force was keeping him from minding his own business.

He couldn't see why Nya liked Jay. He was... Jay.

Nya was smart, capable, and independent. And Jay wasn't. Jay wasn't the greatest fighter. He wasn't brave. He wasn't level-headed. He wasn't anything.

Kai sighed. Jay was his brother, he shouldn't think these things about him. And he did think of Jay as his brother. But he couldn't help those intrusive thoughts. Not since Jay started dating Nya. Now every time he saw Jay, all he saw was a bunch of faults that Nya (for some reason) couldn't see. If he could get her to look at Jay as he was, she'd never want to date him.

Before Jay and Nya dated, he considered Jay one of his best friends. He wished they'd break up. If they did, he could be around Jay without his older brother instincts prompting Kai to destroy him. He wished he could trust Jay again. He missed Jay.

Kai pressed his ear to the door. He heard Jay goofing around and Nya laughing. It didn't sound like they were working on a vehicle.

"Kai!"

Kai jumped one hundred and eighty degrees. His body went as stiff as a plank.

"What? I wasn't-" Kai stuttered. Zane had snuck up behind him. He gave Kai a look of confusion.

"What were you listening to behind the door?" Zane said. The doors opened with so much force that they crashed into the wall. A metallic clang echoed throughout the Bounty. Nya stormed through the threshold and glared at Kai. Jay stood behind her.

"Yeah Kai, what were you listening to?" Nya said.

"I wanted to see what you were working on," Kai laughed nervously as his friends shook their heads.

"Lloyd wants everyone to meet him at the bridge. We have received news about nineteen kidnapped children," Zane said.

"That sounds serious," Nya said, she glanced back at Jay and winked, "Don't forget your nunchucks."

She sprinted away. Zane also left.

"I won't make that mistake again," Jay said cheerfully. Kai narrowed his eyes at Jay who walked past him. 

Before Kai realized what he'd done, he grabbed Jay's arm.

"Uh, Kai, you sort of have my arm. Can I have it back?"

That morning Jay hadn't been able to take a joke. Now he was making jokes. What changed? Kai knew what changed (but he didn't want to admit it): he spent time with Nya. Jay loved Kai's little sister. Kai's grip tightened at the thought.

"Look here, Jay," Kai said, "I'm only going to give you this warning once. You tread lightly with Nya, okay? Because I'm watching. And if I see anything I don't like- well, we both know who wins in a fight between you and me. Got it?"

"We haven't sparred in a long time. And you've never fought me when I was trying hard-"

Kai interrupted Jay's response by raising his free hand and setting it on fire.

"Do you understand me?"

Jay stared at the fire dancing in Kai's palm. It took his brain a few seconds to recognize Kai's actions as a threat.

"Let me go, Kai," Jay said, ripping free of Kai's grip, "We're supposed to be brothers, remember?"

"You may be my brother. But she's my sister first," Kai said.

He ran past Jay and to the bridge.

Everyone was there when Kai arrived. Except for Jay.

Jay meandered in a few seconds later. Kai tossed Nya a glance as if he were asking if this was really the guy she wanted to date. Nya ignored him.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Lloyd asked, "Should we do a quick attendance?"

"Lloyd, I'm here, just start," Jay said. He leaned over to Nya and whispered in her ear. She tried to hold in her giggles. Kai narrowed his eyes.

Lloyd began to rattle off the details of the new mission. Kai tried to pay attention to Lloyd, but he was too focused on making sure Jay didn't distract Nya.

Lloyd explained that someone impersonated an elementary school bus driver. He picked up a bunch of children from Ninjago City Elementary. Then they disappeared.

P.I.X.A.L. searched all traffic cameras for footage of the bus. From that information, they knew the bus had left the city. P.I.X.A.L. sent out Zane's falcon, who followed the bus to a small remote village, called Okuura. It was south of Hiroshi's Labyrinth.

The ninja's mission was to bust in, save the kids and retreat. There wasn't any need to stay longer than needed. Although Zane did think it would be a good idea to figure out why the kidnappers did such a horrid crime.

"Another day," Lloyd said, "First priority is to get those kids to safety. We'll arrive in an hour. Be ready."

During the next hour, everyone gathered the appropriate supplies they needed. And everyone got their earpieces connected to P.I.X.A.L.'s database. Zane had moved P.I.X.A.L. from his head to inside the Bounty. That way she was available to everyone, not just Zane. She was the hub that linked everyone together. All communication was done through P.I.X.A.L..

Everyone was ready for action when the village appeared on the horizon. It was an odd location for a village, settled between dense forestry, a mountain range, and a plain.

There was only one road to Okuura. Although calling it a road was generous. It was more a path of dirt than a road. It took the long way around Hiroshi's Labyrinth and the mountain range. Looking at the dishevelled state of the road, few people travelled to the village.

Usually, the Bounty stayed out of fights, if it could help it (it was the best way to maintain the ship). But they needed it to transport the kids to safety. Nya parked the flying ship right above the village.

The villagers were hostile to the ninja's arrival. Men were waiting for them, armed with weaponry. It was the calm before the storm as the armed villagers gazed up at the ninja.

All the ninja lined up on the side of the Bounty. Each of them held a rope in their hands that was tied to the Bounty's railing. 

Kai pulled his hood over his head. Adrenaline began to pump through his veins. He was born to fight.

Although Lloyd did say not to hurt the people of Okuura. It wouldn't be a fair fight. The ninja had to go easy on their enemies... again. Everyone wanted to face a challenge, not another mission where they had to hold back their skills.

"Ninja g-" Lloyd cut himself off and gazed at the ninja, "Uh, quick roll call?"

"For crying out loud, let's go!" Jay yelled.

"Great, everyone is here. Ninja go!"

At Lloyd's call, the ninja dropped their rope and jumped down to the ground. As soon as Kai stepped onto the ground, a villager attacked him. Kai sidestepped the attack, as another villager engaged him. In his earpiece, Kai heard Lloyd say: "Uh, Jay, are you there?"

"I'm a little busy," Jay shouted. Kai saw Jay swinging his nunchucks around as two villagers cornered him. Kai ran over and help Jay take down the foes.

"Jay, Kai and Cole, go search the village for the kids. Bring them back here. Nya, Zane, and I will defend the Bounty."

Upon receiving Lloyd's instructions, Kai and Jay took off towards the houses in Okuura. Cole was right behind them.

They began to search the buildings. The village wasn't large. It didn't take them long to stumble upon a walled part of the village. The ninja climbed the stone wall, only to realize an open gateway was only a few feet down the wall from them. The three ninja each took turns hazing one another for not seeing the gateway earlier. 

They jumped down into the gated district. No one was around to attack them anymore. It was quiet. There were two main buildings. A garage and a compound.

"I bet it's this one," Cole said, pointing to the large garage, "Where else would you park a bus? "

Kai kicked in the door. You couldn't miss the yellow school bus in the middle of the garage. Children pressed their faces against the bus window to get a view of the ninja. Kai estimated there must be fifteen children on the bus. Two Okuura men were guarding the bus.

The two guards charged. Kai took out one. The other managed to get the better of Jay. He tumbled to the ground, while the guard stood over him. Cole ran in and saved Jay.

Kai extended a hand to Jay.

"You okay?" he asked. Jay felt around his ear where his earpiece was. Jay nodded. The ninja ran over to the bus and pried the doors open.

"Wow, Ninja!" a child said in awe as they boarded.

"We're going to get you to safety," Cole said, "Can you get this bus moving?" Cole looked at Jay who was already in the driver's seat. He ducked under the steering wheel and fiddled around with circuitry.

"I'd need tools," he said, "Unfortunately, I left my pocket multitool in my gi with pockets. Why don't all our uniforms have pockets?"

"Exactly!" Kai said. 

Cole turned to the crowd of kids. He did a headcount. Seventeen kids total.

"Okay, everyone, off the bus."

Kids began to file off the bus. Once they all conjugated out of the bus, Cole instructed them to follow Kai. He waved his hands so everyone could see him.

"Protect these kids. Kai, take the front. I'll take the middle. Jay, bring up the rear," Cole said, "And Jay, make sure you don't get left behind."

"Hardy-har," Jay said.

Kai ran out of the garage, taking down any villagers that tried to get close to the kids.

"We got the kids and we're on our way," Kai said into his headset. He led them back to the Bounty.

Kai summoned his Elemental Dragon. He got as many kids as he could onto his Dragon, then flew up to the Bounty. Nya and Zane bussed the rest of the children onto the ship with their Dragons. Meanwhile, all the other ninja kept the villagers at bay. 

After all the kids were on deck, the other ninja climbed up the rope and back onto the ship. Cole counted the kids again. Seventeen kids accounted for.

At Lloyd's signal, Zane set the course for Ninjago City at full speed and they flew away from Okuura. No one pursued them. However, the ninja remained on guard as they flew, in case of an ambush.

"Is it just me, or was that mission too easy?" Lloyd said over the earpiece.

"I was thinking the same thing," Nya said.

"Ninja meeting at the bridge," Lloyd declared.

Everyone gathered.

"Good job everyone. I'm thinking we should separate into two teams. One team -those who can use their Elemental Dragons- to go back and investigate why these kids were kidnapped. The second team stays here and makes sure these kids are safely returned to their parents in Ninjago City," Lloyd said.

Kai looked over to Zane and Nya. He nodded at them.

They turned to leave when Cole said: "Guys, Jay isn't here."

Everyone looked around at each other and took notice that the blue ninja wasn't around. Kai knew it was too quiet.

Lloyd tried calling him on the headset but he didn't respond.

"P.I.X.A.L., can you track Jay for us?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm sorry, I lost all communications with Jay shortly after he arrived at the village. I believe his earpiece broke. This is his last know location."

A flashing light appeared in the middle of Okuura.

"He could still be on the ship," Kai said, "Just lost in the crowd of children."

Lloyd sighed.

"I don't think so," he said, "We left him behind. Again."

Nya declared she was going back for him. Followed shortly by Zane. Kai knew he should follow. Yet he found himself standing still as his friends flew back to Okuura.