***(Jay's POV; song for this chapter: "Hold the Line" by Toto)***

Lloyd, Nya, and I are back at the monastery. Cole's there. Misako's there. Zane's there. But we're missing Kai and Sensei Wu. And Skylor, if she counts. Our team is crumbling, just like in my dream.

Lloyd speaks up. "We need to formulate a plan. If Harumi and Camille are behind this, it shouldn't be that hard to trace their trail to the staff. I mean, Camille's no genius, and Harumi probably isn't used to being evil."

We all look at each other. Lloyd apparently doesn't know the real Harumi.

"We could talk to Ronin again," Nya suggests. "Since Master Wu is gone, it wouldn't be that hard to break into his tea collection."

"Not a bad idea, but what if those teas get sold to the wrong people? We don't need any more supervillains threatening Ninjago."

"You could call Harumi?" I say hopefully. "If you spend more time with her, maybe she'll let something slip about her plan."

Lloyd turns red. "You expect me to hang out with my deceitful girlfriend? After what she's done to me?" He gets right up in my face.

Nya pushes him away. "Hey, maybe Jay has a point. And one of us could be your third wheel to make sure you stay safe."

I don't want to know what Harumi's like when she's out with Lloyd, so I will not be volunteering for that job.

"I could go with you," Nya smiles. However, there's fire behind her eyes. That girl does not like Rumi.

"Fine, fine, I'll go out with her tonight. But, uh, Nya, Harumi isn't exactly your biggest fan. It'd probably be best for Cole to come with me, since he's better able to blend with her friend group."

"What?" Cole shouts. "No way! She's, like, the wickedest witch, but a high school version!"

"She's not that bad, Cole," Lloyd growls. "I doubt she's the mastermind behind this operation."

Um, what has Lloyd seen in Harumi that the rest of us never did?

Cole huffs. "Okay, I'll go. But I still think she's evil. And you owe me one, Lloyd."

"Great, so that's taken care of," Nya sighs. "The rest of us need to scrounge some money together and visit Ronin again. If we can't bring tea, then it's going to come out of our pockets."

I waste all my money on junk food and videogames, so I'm down for the count. Actually, I have been saving for something, but I'd only use those funds as a last resort.

Cole frowns. "I do some odd jobs for my neighbors sometimes, so you guys could use that cash."

"Thanks, Cole," Nya smiles. "And I could borrow a little from my savings. I may have only worked last summer, but I can pitch in."

"I won money in the Ninjago-wide spelling bee last year," Zane adds.

Everyone looks at me, and I blush. "Okay, so I have a little I can contribute."

"Then it's a plan," Lloyd declares.

"I don't see you giving up anything here," I mutter. Nya chuckles beside me.

"Mom, are you still not going to tell us what happened to Uncle Wu?" Lloyd asks, addressing Misako.

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. He said it was for the best that you don't know."

"Why?" I blurt. I'm pretty sure that's what we're all thinking. "Don't you remember when he tried to fight Acronix alone? He was struck by a time blade! He almost died!"

"Jay, you're psyching yourself out again," Cole sighs. "None of that actually happened."

Lloyd takes up for me. For once. "Okay, but why does Wu think we're not ready to learn of his whereabouts yet? We need our master."

"You are doing a fine job leading, Son," Misako reassures him. "And your uncle is a wise man. I'm sure he has his reasons."

"I hope you're right," Lloyd sighs. "All right. Let's go. Call if you all need anything. And make sure you check on Kai!"

We all split up, though it's probably not a good idea. Zane, Nya, and I climb in the Ultra Stealth Raider.

"So, back to Ronin's. I can't wait for the Sons of Garmadon to magically find us – yet again – and almost kill us before our team swoops in and saves the day." I laugh humorlessly.

"We took them just fine," Nya rolls her eyes. "I had Ultraviolet. If it hadn't been for water temperatures in February, everything would've been great. I would've won, we would've captured her, we would've gotten answers. But, no! I couldn't do it. Stupid nature. Stupid physical limitations."

Zane and I quiet at her outburst. She's been on edge ever since recounting her parents' death earlier. I never realized she had so much anger and bitterness inside. I'll help her get through it, though. I love her. What else am I supposed to do?

Realizing that Lloyd isn't with us, I place my hand in Nya's. She squeezes it and smiles up at me.

"I'm sorry this relationship started at such a bad time," she apologizes.

I shrug. "I think there's a song about that."

Zane, at the wheel, shakes his head. "Correction, there are 7,432 songs about it."

Nya and I both crack up.

"Sing it for me?" she requests.

"Anything for you, Nya." I clear my throat and start the first few notes.

"It's not in the way that you hold me,

It's not in the way you say you care.

It's not in the way you've been treating my friends,

It's not in the way that you stayed till the end.

It's not in the way you look or the things that you say you'll do.

Hold the line; love isn't always on time.

Hold the line; love isn't always on time."

She giggles. "It's not a perfect match for our relationship, but I see where you're coming from."

That gets me thinking. "Do you think we need a song?"

Blushing, she says, "I think that'd be nice. Just to remind us not to give up when things get tough, you know. On second thought, maybe this song would be perfect."

I smile. "My mom always liked it. Not as much as Betty Midler, but she was still a big fan."

Nya lays her head on my shoulder for a moment, but I can tell she's restless. She pulls out her phone a few minutes later and calls her brother. They talk for a while, and she gets more agitated as the call ensues.

It ends with her asserting, "Kai, I can take care of myself!" and hanging up.

I look at her. "Bad talk?"

"Awful," she moans. "Kai will never understand that I'm more than his little sister."

"He'll see that someday, Nya. He just has an overprotective streak."

She crosses her arms. "Yeah, well, it's getting on my nerves, so I hope he grows out of it soon." She stares off into space, and I become more than a little concerned about her.

From our conversation earlier today, it seemed she had never told Kai the extent of her parents' accident. She wrote him off as not knowing the truth since he had a head injury. Unfortunately, I think her secret is eating her up. It won't take much for her to blow.

Thinking about Nya's parents only results in regrets for me. Today is the first day I forgot to dance for my mom. I know the team is up against a lot, but she deserves better than that.

The ride to Ronin's consists of questions about the Sons of Garmadon. I realize we don't have very many answers, except that Lloyd's girlfriend and her minion are definitely involved. When will this end? It's wearing us all down.

Maybe that's their plan, to tire us so much that we can't put up a fight. I wonder if a little free time would better help us crack this case.

"Nya?" I ask quietly.

She turns to me, all ears.

"So, I know you were kind of talking gibberish last night when you were recovering from the cold, but...um...I had asked if you'd like to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's with me this Saturday."

"What do you mean, I was talking gibberish?" she exclaims, obviously concerned.

"I mean, you told me to take care of the kids, whatever that means. You mentioned to Kai that you were sorry, but never divulged what for. I think that's all."

She relaxes. "Oh, good. And I'd love to see that movie with you."

I play with a strand of her hair. "I was thinking...in the show, the two main love interests go on a date where they spend the day doing things the other has never tried before." I blush. "Would you, um, maybe be interested in having a date like that? On Saturday, I mean."

She looks at me adoringly. "Of course, Jay! You're so sweet!" Her eyes drift to my lips, but she shakes her head to clear that thought and gives me a quick smooch on the cheek.

"That reminds me, Zane..." Nya grins. "You've never said much about your girlfriend."

He sighs. "She's not my girlfriend. I already told you that I've never liked anyone that way."

"Aww, Zane," she tries.

"Look, Nya! It appears we've arrived," he says triumphantly.

"Fine, fine. Avoid me now," she groans. "But I will be grilling you the next spare moment I get."

"I guess it's a good thing we're all swamped right now," Zane smiles.

***(Nya's POV)***

Ronin's shop always smells like a dusty paperback to me. Lloyd would say it smelled like old people. Given that the only elderly person he spends much time around is Sensei Wu, and that Wu's not your typical old man, I take my best friend's opinion with a grain of salt.

"Ronin!" I call, ringing the bell as the others and I walk inside. The lights are all off.

I hear shuffling from a back room before his head pops out.

"Didn't you see the sign on the front door?" he sighs, annoyed. "We're closed."

"Puh-lease. It's only four in the afternoon, and when someone wants to make you a good enough deal, you're open as long as necessary."

"Well? What kind of deal are we talking about?"

I wave a hand nonchalantly. "No teas, this time. Just cash. We need more information."

"It's probably best you didn't bring any of Wu's teas, anyway. You never know who could be lurking around." Ronin eyes me seriously.

"Like the guy who broke into your store yesterday?"

His mouth tightens. "Right. If it even was a guy."

"With his inferior stealth capabilities, it had to be."

Ronin laughs. "All right, kid. What's this about?"

"Don't play stupid with me. We need to know more about the Sons of Garmadon. Names, Ronin. Who's in charge?"

"How much are you paying?"

"That depends on how much you're telling. Let's start things off with twenty-five."

"Kid, you know that's way too low for anything of value. For that amount, I could maybe reveal the given name of the gang's bottom rung. Try something more like...three hundred."

My eyes bug. "No way!"

We continue haggling until the price is down to two hundred credits.

"All right," he finally settles. "The girl you're looking for is Harumi Jade."

"We already knew that, just like we know Camille's involved," Jay argues.

I silence him with a glare. Does he want Ronin to know we're onto the Sons of Garmadon?

"Not my problem," the dealer shrugs. "You should've told me that before you started."

"Very funny, Ronin, but we're not going to let you get away with that," I challenge.

He raises his brows. "You can't change a deal after it's been made."

"Then maybe you can discount us for the next." We don't have enough for more names, but we can bargain for something else. "How about telling us where the staff was last seen?"

He smiles. "That's more like it. How much are you paying?"

"Fifty, and not a bit more."

He debates for a moment. "Fine. It was last seen by your average black-market source on a ship headed toward Ninjago City. I'll even throw in the date it sailed: Two weeks ago, tomorrow."

"What was the name of said ship? And the captain?"

"You can know one or the other, kid, but not both."

"Okay, how about the vessel's name?" I imagine it'll be easier to track the ship with that. With our luck, the captain's name would be Smith or Cook.

"The ship's title was Insolence Rising."

"Hmm, interesting. But I have to know, since you aren't an average black-market source, where did you last see the staff?"

He laughs. "Why would I fall for that?"

"To help out a friend in need? You know full well that my team and I are endangered by the Sons of Garmadon right now."

He raises a brow. "Listen, Nya, I only look out for myself. I may like you guys and make you a special deal every now and then, but I'm not going to risk my hide so you can put a stop to these guys."

"You know their plan very well has to do with conquering Ninjago, right? You live in Ninjago!"

He nonchalantly adjusts his hat. "I guess you all will have to come up with more money before that happens."

I cross my arms. "You're impossible."

"Same to you, sweetheart. Anything else I can do before you all are on your way? This place isn't for loitering, you know."

"Um, how about telling me where the bathroom is?" Jay pleads.

Ronin flicks his head to the left. "Down the hall, kid. Don't pee on my toilet seat."

While Jay runs off to the restroom and Zane browses through some old tomes, Ronin leans toward me and speaks in a low voice. "What's got you so worked up today?"

I flinch. I guess my poker face doesn't work on him. "Someone asked about my parents."

"Eesh. You tell them anything?"

I ponder telling a lie, then realize it wouldn't be much use. "Yeah. I trust them."

"I have two guesses: Lloyd, or the one thinks wearing lots of blue is a good idea."

I laugh. "Ronin, I know you're just going to use the information I give you against me."

"Not the stuff about your parents. We were friends, you know."

I nod. "I remember."

He leans right up to my ear and hisses, "If you ever need anything in their honor – "anything" meaning something that won't lose me my hide – just let me know." Then, standing back a little, he continues, "What did you tell Jay about their death?"

It's kind of scary, knowing someone who can read you as well as Ronin. "I told him about my part in it."

"But not about your – "

"Shh," I frown. "No, not about that. Do you think I'm a fool?"

We hear the bathroom door open and leap apart.

"Okay, are we all ready to go?" I ask the others. We don't exactly have much time to smell the roses. We've got a ship to track down.

"I just went," Jay says, confused. Then, realization lights his eyes, and he turns pink. "I-I mean, yes."

I snicker at his faux pas and entwine my fingers with his. "Zane, are you coming?"

He nods, but his face appears troubled. "I was wondering – um, I was wondering if we have enough funds left for me to purchase a book." He holds up a leather-bound volume. On the front is a photo of an elderly man with glasses.

Ronin shoots him a look I don't understand. Then, he nods to himself. "I'll knock the price down for you."

I fish around in my pocket with my free hand, but come up with only seventeen credits. "Um, Ronin, how would you feel about...ten?"

He looks at the money skeptically. "Nothing in life is free...but I'm doing this as a favor. Just remember my kindness in the future." He holds out his hand for the coins, then wraps Zane's purchase in paper.

"What's the book about, Zane?" I question.

"Oh, um, it's...it's about an inventor. That's all." He snatches his book from Ronin and all but sprints out the door.

"That was weird. Anything you'd like to tell us, Ronin?" I know he's hiding something from me.

"I'll leave that up to your friend. Now, I thought I told you this place was closed." He ushers us out.

I inhale the fresh afternoon's cold air and shiver a little.

"You're cold," Jay observes. He tugs his sweatshirt over his head and hands it to me.

I giggle. "You're going to start running out of sweatshirts if I keep stealing them."

He gives me a charming smile. "At least they're going to a worthy cause."

I smile to myself and snuggle into the jacket. It's warm and smells like Jay's subtle cologne. I am never taking this off.

"All right, guys," I start, ready for action. "Let's go track down the Insolence Rising. Maybe we can talk with the captain and see if there was any strange activity occurring on his boat." I march off toward the dock.

Jay jogs to catch up with me. "You think it was smuggled?"

"I'm sure. The captain may have even been in on it. We'll have to double-check his story and see if everything comes out clean. It's a good thing we didn't send our smartest ninja with Lloyd," I grin, sending a wink at Zane.

He isn't watching, though. His eyes are trained on the book.

"Zane, is something wrong?" Jay tries.

"It's just – Jay, you knew your birth mother, right?"

"For a while, yeah. She left when I was five."

"And Nya, you knew your parents. But me – I never met mine." He gets a faraway look in his eyes. "I've always found it strange that I can't remember anything from before I was around twelve."

"Maybe you suffered a really bad head wound?" Jay suggests.

Zane shrugs. "Maybe. The last thing I remember is waking up in a pile of rubble."

"You don't have any memories at all from before you were fourteen? Not even vague ones?" I query, intrigued.

"None at all. It's like my memories are locked away, and I can't reach them on my own."

"Obviously, though, you remembered how to do some things," I point out. "You remembered how to walk and to speak."

"Yes. I suppose those skills are programmed into me, in a way." He casts a furtive glance at the book. "It's not important right now, though. What's vital is that we find that ship."

From a distance, we can see the dock. One wooden boat stands out – Insolence Rising.

"That's it!" I shout, running toward the vessel. I can see people swarming around the boat, carrying cargo and trunks.

"It looks like it's about to leave," Zane informs us.

"Then we'll just have to get on board." I push my legs to move faster, to make longer strides. I can do this.

When I finally reach the dock, I fold over, hands on my knees. My breath comes out in vaporous puffs, contrasting with the chilly air.

"Hold up!" I shout to an official looking man.

He eyes me. "What for? We can't take any more passengers, miss. We're already overbooked, as 'tis."

"We don't need a ride," I pant. "Just to speak to someone about some suspicious activity."

The man rolls his eyes and goes back to his work. "Can't you see we're busy here?"

Zane finally catches up and takes over talking. "Yes, we did notice that. However, it has come to our attention that illegal goods have been smuggled in your ship."

That causes the worker to stop. "There isn't nothing illegal about our operation, boy."

"Maybe not," Zane replies, "but perhaps something has been going on without your notice."

"There ain't nothing that escapes my sharp eye," the man frowns. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" I prod.

"We do rent this ship out on occasion. I s'pose it wouldn't be hard to carry illegal goods on one of those trips."

"When was the last time you rented it out?" Zane asks.

"Oh, 'bout two weeks ago, I should think. The captain would have the exact date in his records."

"And who is your captain?" Jay huffs, arriving last at the scene.

"His name be William Jones."

I knew we wouldn't get anything from the captain's name.

"A more important question, I would think, would be who rented out the ship," the sailor says. "I don't recall a name, but he was a rather tall fellow. Short with the workers. Very to-the-point man. And he only wanted it for one night. It was rather strange, but he payed good coin." The man snaps out of his story. "But your talking to the captain will have to wait. We're about to set sail." Finally taking in all three of us, he makes a you've-got-to-be-kidding face. "And you're just a lot of lads."

"And lasses," I remind him.

"Why would the captain let you see him?" he points out. "Be on your way, now. Shoo!" He waves his hands at us. "The only way you'll be seeing Cap'n Jones is on a wish and a prayer."

Why do I feel like I've heard that before?

The three of us leave, but at least we know that Harumi and her gang are into sea fare. Now, we only need to trace which boats she's been using...and where they're going.

***Thank you to everyone who reads these chapters :) This story continues to twist itself in my mind, and I'm like, "WAIT! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN TWO MORE CHAPTERS...". Obviously, that's not going to happen ;) Hope you liked this latest installment!***