lloyd

Lloyd and Misako moved into the Smith's house earlier than anticipated, Tuesday afternoon after school. Not that there was much to move into the borderline mansion house, but Lloyd was eager to get it done and over with so they could discuss the many issues that had been coming up. Monday afternoon was taken up with homework, studying, packing and getting ready. The Archive of Energy laid untouched at the bottom of his school bag until he'd been nagged by his mother into sorting through it Tuesday night.

His room in his old house was about the size of his bathroom here. And it was en suite. Sure, he'd visited the Smith's plenty over the years but he'd never really gotten used to the thousands of rooms that seemed to spring up every way you looked. Like all the other bedrooms, his was on the second floor, second down the hallway between Nya and Kai's.

Even though he definitely felt like the younger sibling (honestly, the amount of hair ruffling was insane), Lloyd was quite enjoying his new life. School wasn't that far away, only a five minute walk, ten if Kai was fixing his hair on the go, Magda was very nice to him and made really good dinners when Misako was out, and having Kai and Nya and Ryu to keep him company was cool.

Speaking of the devilish dog, his small size did not put a damper on his shoe-chewing abilities which was a time-driven endeavour because his tiny teeth had to work through the shoe as fast as possible, which wasn't that fast at all. Not to mention Ryu was a bit...dumb. They all had to be ready to pick him up and redirect him in another direction like one of those robot vacuum cleaners so he wouldn't bash into furniture.

He had his bowl topped up three times a day for his meals, fresh water always on hand because although he looked like a tiny runt, Ray was sure he'd grow way bigger. Lloyd thought otherwise, maybe taller but from pictures he'd seen, not as...wide? Ryu hadn't been in the big, wide world yet, only traipsing around the backyard in safety. Potty training was another activity, one that Lloyd wasn't all that excited to help with.

Now it was Wednesday afternoon and Lloyd was sitting at the kitchen counter with Kai and Nya eating bowls of ice cream heavily topped with all kinds of lollies and chocolate syrup in amicable silence. His was sprinkled liberally with gummy bears, sprinkles and other candies all mixed into the mush. With no other adults around, except for Magda, who didn't really count (Ray and Maya had left earlier that morning for their work and Misako was at work) so they were free to go wild.

"So...have any of you given thought to the Archive thingies?"

"Whast?" Kai said through a mouthful of ice cream. He swallowed, burped, then answered. "Oh. Them."

Nya straightened a bit on her bar stool. "I have, actually. The Water Archive is very...interesting."

"Not to mention dad's in the book of Fire." Kai snorted.

Lloyd glanced at his school bag where he knew the Energy journal was hidden. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he took the book out, sliding it into the middle of the counter.

"I haven't actually opened mine yet." he said carefully, watching the two Smith's interest pique.

"Well go on, do you want me to grow a beard while we wait?" Kai ordered impatiently, still shovelling in ice cream.

With a sigh, Lloyd's fingers tapped against the cover in anticipation before finally flipping open to the first page. The personalisation lines were empty. He frowned, then flipped to the next page. Empty. And the next. Empty. Ten pages after that, all empty.

"What the hell," he breathed, partially to himself but loud enough for Kai and Nya to hear. "Your books aren't empty, right?"

Nya shook her head, bringing the Water book out to open the first few pages. "Look, here, the first Master of Water. Evian."

"Like the water brand?" Nya raised her spoon threateningly and Lloyd shut up instantly.

"Where's yours?" directed at Kai, Nya's question prompted a dash up the stairs. Five minutes later, Kai returned with the Fire book stuffed into his pocket.

"Right, uh...Calla. First Master of Fire." Kai jabbed a finger at the very first entry.

The three books were lined up next to each other, all open to the first pages leaving it very clear that there had been plenty of Fire and Water Masters, yet no trace of Energy. If there even had been one before him. The idea stayed with Lloyd, the possibility becoming clearer as his thoughts jumbled together.

"I'm going on that trip. I need answers." he snapped his book close and dropped it into his bag, nodding to himself.

Kai and Nya shared a look, that way siblings have. "We're coming with you. We need answers on our parents."

Lloyd's smile was spreading before he realised it. "Two weeks in who knows where, learning how to control these 'powers'? Sounds fan-tas-tic."

o o o

Thus came Thursday morning when Lloyd, Kai and Nya were ready to go to Wu's office to accept his offer. As far as Lloyd knew, none of his other friends were coming. A tentative, touchy topic, it had been well avoided at lunch and it was almost as if that encounter had never happened at all. But even then, Lloyd had become more aware since Monday's meeting of those little signs. Cole was constantly crouching to pick up those rocks or kicking at them with his foot, Zane seemed reluctant to walk anywhere in case ice would follow him, in Science when their classes joined, Kai played with the bunsen burner's hottest flame like it was nothing. After school everyday Nya would swim laps up and down the Smith's pool without tiring, and, well...Lloyd and Skylor showed no signs of having any powers.

Pixal hadn't revealed anything about her talk with Principal Wu, but Lloyd reckoned he might be able to get it out of Cole because his friend was always glancing at Pixal and Zane, shaking his head and looking away. Maybe Cole had overheard them. All three of them were in different homerooms so they organised a time to excuse themselves so they could leave. In fact, Zane asked to go straight after Lloyd's request, both being approved, they set off for the office in awkward tension.

"So, uh, you going on that trip with uncl—sorry, Principal Wu?"

"Yes, I am. I needed some time away from Evan...and my father."

"Oh. Why?" Lloyd asked as they began to turn the corner.

"I am a robot."

He walked into a wall.

Dazed, and now somehow on the floor, Lloyd's forehead was pounding with a shooting pain that slowly ebbed away in a mild all-round sore.

Sucking a sharp breath in, he blinked a few times so his vision would stop swimming like he'd been tossed into a laundry's tumbler. "I'm sorry, you're a what?"

"Apologies Lloyd, I have been looking at my settings and I must have altered something unintentionally. Please remain seated, and have some water."

From the corner of his view, he saw Zane pass him a bottle of unopened water. Twisting the cap off, he took a long chug and focused on everything but the throb in his head. He opened his mouth to inquire further on Zane's...being a robot, but his mouth hung open as Zane's arm had somehow opened up? A compartment of sorts, set into his left arm that he was fiddling with.

"Dude...did I just fall into a multiverse or can you explain that?"

Zane turned around and helped Lloyd stand to his feet on shaky legs. Lloyd almost toppled over again and put his hand up against the wall to steady him.

"To answer your question Lloyd, last week my father revealed that I am an android, or a droid. Whichever term you prefer, they both mean the same. I am indeed made out of metal." There Zane took in a breath, closing the panel in his arm. "Many inventors have tried time and time again to create a self sustaining android like myself with it's own portable power source."

"O-okay..." Lloyd said slowly, trying to piece everything together through a foggy mindset.

"The answer to that, for me, at least was an Elemental Master. The Master of Ice came by my father and, did...something, a core of sorts that is equal to your heart that allows me to function." Zane sounded incredibly frustrated talking about the Ice Master as they resumed a sluggish walk. "I believe Wu will have more answers and I intend to find out more about the predecessor of my power."

"You seem...different?" Lloyd cocked his head, remembering how altered Zane's behaviour had been all week.

Zane nodded, "I found it somewhat unfair that my father chose all of my settings. Of course, he couldn't know what I would want that early and he chose what he thought I would like. At least, what would make me normal. I realise that nothing about me is remotely normal so the least I could do is to choose myself."

"Hmmmmm." Lloyd finally said. "You seem a lot more...brutal in your honesty."

Zane's eyes sharped on his as they paused outside Wu's door. Kai and Nya must already be inside. "From what I have observed, knowing I am not...human, is that you are ruthless in lying to gain what you must. I thought it would be interesting to do the exact opposite."

Lloyd noted how different Zane had become - good or bad, time would tell, but how he'd become somewhat distanced, using 'you', a strange acceptance of being an android. Lloyd was still trying to wrap his mind around it, but Wu called for them to come inside. Lloyd's head nearly started spinning again when he spotted the rest of his friends, Kai, Nya, Cole, Pixal, Skylor, and Jay all grim-faced and arms crossed. So they all agreed to come - even Pixal, who didn't have an element. Or maybe she did, and it was some top-secret power that had lots of information unlike Energy, which was beginning to look a lot like a piss-poor element at the moment.

"Lloyd."

"Uncle." With the barest of acknowledgements, Lloyd slipped into the room, next to Pixal and leant against the wall, his hand still gripping the water bottle like it was his lifeline.

"I'm glad to see that you are all here, and I hope you have thought wisely about your choice." Wu began, his eyes stopping and starting on each student. "So? Do you wish to come?"

Lloyd caught Kai and Nya's gaze, giving them both a sharp nod. Nya stepped forwards slightly. "Lloyd, Kai and I are going."

"As are Zane and I," added Pixal, inching closer to her boyfriend.

"I'm going." Skylor confirmed, Cole echoing her.

Jay looked at all of them, his eyes widened, mouth parting in a laugh, "Okay, no way are you guys leaving me here, alone for two weeks. I'm in."

Wu nodded reverently, penning something in his book with an expensive looking fountain pen. "We shall leave on Monday morning at seven-thirty from the steps in front of the main entrance. Pack lightly and yes, you can bring your infernal devices. We will return two weeks from next Monday, and you will all be excused from school work due around that time period."

Lloyd stood on his tippity-toes to try and get a peek at what Wu was writing, but it just looked like chicken scratch and drawings.

"Uh, what are we supposed to tell our parents?" Jay chuckled nervously.

Wu looked him dead in the eye. "That you are running away with a travelling circus."

Walker repeated the same chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Really?" Nya nudged him lightly with her elbow and he shut up. "Right, right. I'll just tell them it's a school thing."

They all milled about, unsure of what to do next. Lloyd tugged at the collar of his jacket. Was it just him, or was it getting hotter?"

"What are you still doing here? Shoo, shoo!" barked Wu, and the eight students fled from his office, realising the time and dashing off to class. Lloyd's bag thumped annoyingly against the side of his leg, the Energy Archive jostling around and the dull metal corner stabbing him through the bag.

Bloody book.

jay

Okay, Ma, Pa, I'm running away with a circus—No, wrong one. Ma, Pa, I got a school camping trip for two weeks. I'll be back soon! Cheerio! Tea anyone?

"Jay. Jay!"

Vaguely, Jay realised someone was yelling at him. "Sorry Miss, what was it?"

"Where is Astra Harlow?" demanded his English teacher.

Flabbergast, he turned in his seat to look at the empty chair behind him. "Dunno, Miss. Actually, she wasn't here on Friday, was she? Or anytime this week?"

Miss Kelly's expression turned into a sneer as she made a big show of crossing his classmate's name off the role. "I'll have to email her parents and ask her why."

Internally, he prayed for Astra because Miss Kelly was a hound when it came to missing students - missing students and missing homework. They had moved on from Romeo and Juliet - thank god, because that play, no offence Shakespeare, hurt his brain. Love was the ulterior motive, but for murder? That seemed a bit much. Of course, Jay wasn't in love with a girl who his family was rivals with and hated to death.

No, his parents loved Nya in the few embarrassing moments they'd met, and he'd never actually met Ray or Maya. And, the love seemed pretty much one-sided, so Jay did not relate to Romeo and Juliet at all. That was, until Nya asked him to help with a project of hers. He agreed- partially because it was nice to spend time with her, and because he was genuinely interested. He wasn't president of the STEAM club for nothing.

His brain was already listing things he'd take to...wherever it was. His Switch, definitely, for entertainment, maybe some comics (that reminded him to ask Lloyd about the Realm Raider series, apparently the blonde liked it and had bought the next few issues), clothes, specifically underwear, obviously the Lightning Archive, and a few other necessities. Just like that, Thursday ended in the blink of an eye.

Somehow Friday passed just as quickly and Jay remembered to tell his parents about the camping field trip, which they were very excited about because Jay wasn't typically a camping person. Sunday night, when all good things should be done, Jay threw together his supplies and got his duffel bag ready for the trip. He lay in bed staring at the ceiling of the tiny portion of the trailer that he had to himself, wondering what exactly was in store for him.

Like all logical people, Jay started at the beginning of the Lightning Archive. He still couldn't believe that he - little ol' Jay Walker, boy from the junkyard - has a superpower like...like he was Fritz Donnegan or something. Essentially, he was a superhero, or one in the making. Super cool power: check. Sad-ish backstory: check. Bullied at school: check. Was probably gonna get a ton of muscles and come back all jacked up: chec— okay no, Jay could not imagine himself loaded with muscles.

There was a thin line between who would be the skinny bean of their friend group - Lloyd or Jay, and luckily Greenie took the hit. That didn't mean Jay's superhero, Fritz Donnegan-style fantasies stopped as Sunday night led him on a thrilling adventure through space as he usually did. But this time, he was zapping enemies, shocking buildings and armies with that beautiful, cruel lightning.

Monday morning came and Jay, despite all his excitement, managed to miss all eight of his alarms as his usual knack for punctuality was taken over his superhero-frenzied dreams. He fought through a blue hoodie, pulled on some comfy grey tracksuit pants and hoisted his bag over his shoulder. At six twenty-five, he kissed his Ma goodbye, hugged Pa and then ran for the bus stop.

The only bus stop for several miles, Jay used it for just about everything since his parents used the car to pick up supplies or customers. It was an hour's ride in all, maybe a little less this early with fewer stops and he managed to leap onto the bus just before the doors snapped close. Flashing his public transport card past, Jay collapsed into a seat at the back of the empty bus, strangely reminded of the day they'd evacuated Zane from the park. His friends had grown distant for quite a while, he realised thoughtfully. Maybe this trip would bring them closer together, although he had no idea what to expect.

The bus driver dropped him off right where they were supposed to meet and Jay almost fell asleep on the ride there. Blinking away the daydream of him fighting off Morro and Co epicly, Jay ran to meet his friends. Kai, Nya and Lloyd were the only ones there. Oh yeah, Lloyd moved in with them.

"Hey, you finally made it!" Nya teased with a wicked grin.

"Yes, very funny that I don't live five minutes away—"

"Ten minutes unless Kai is fixing his hair," Lloyd, Jay and Nya choroused in cheeky unison.

"I'm sorry I have some sense of style—"

"Your style is literally just wearing sports clothes and Nike trainers." accused Lloyd mischievously.

Kai responded by swatting him over the head with a travel pillow, but weirdly swerved back, still cradling his arm. There was a lump above it which hopefully would be snacks.

"Hey, that's my pillow!" cried Nya, turning to wrestle it away from her brother.

Kai recruited Lloyd to fight off his sister, leaving Jay awkwardly watching the siblings and the-honouray-sibling fight with each other.

"Jay!" gasped Nya, surfacing from the scuffle, "Help me you idiot!"

Shocked out of his haze, Jay tried and made some success dividing the two teams apart like a playground mediator. "Hey, hey calm down."

Nya angrily huffed, blowing a lock of raven hair out of her eyes. Kai and Lloyd were doing a terrible victory dance, tossing the pillow up in the air mockingly, albeit one-handed in Kai's case. His eyes crossed back to Nya, checking over her instinctively to see if she was hurt. No, her eyes only possessed that stormy blue and her cheeks were a little flushed from being in the cold. On her cheek was a large smear of dirt suspiciously shaped like Lloyd's hand and Jay stuttered on his way forwards.

"Uh, Nya's there's a—"

"There's a what?"

His hand froze from where he'd been halfway to wiping the mark off. "There's uh, just some, ah, dirtonyourcheek."

"There's a bird on my cheek?"

Even quieter and faster, he mumbled, "There'sdirtonyourcheek."

"Slow down," she said gently, taking her hands off her hips.

He did exactly that and exhaled a slow breath, looking back up to catch her gaze. "There's some dirt on your cheek."

"Oh, thanks." she breathed. "Where?"

He almost mumbled his words, but it was like something had possessed him as he moved forwards boldly with a tissue and wiped her cheek tentatively. He almost ran away when her eyes widened - disgust, he first thought - but she smiled and thanked him, running back over to yank Kai and Lloyd away from another disagreement, throwing one last glance over her shoulder.

Jay took a shaky step back and walked into a fire extinguisher, whirling around to find Cole standing there.

"You so like her." grinned Cole madly. Skylor appeared out of nowhere beside him, her grin just as knowing.

His mouth fell open as he squealed indignantly "No—no I don't. You're her boyfriend!"

Cole squinted at the rising sun, almost in confusion, then barked out in laughter. "You actually believed that? Jay, that was just to distract Chad."

"It wasn't just me—Skylor thought you were dating as well!" Jay just caught Skylor's reaction to Cole's confession and it was one of surprise.

The redhead spluttered, crossing her arms. "No I did not."

"We all did," entered a new voice. Pixal and Zane were standing behind them, eyes dancing with mirth. Pixal spoke again with a laugh, "It was the cherry on top that you actually kissed."

Cole rolled his eyes, and everyone opened their mouths to try out a snippy response when Master Wu trundled by in a minivan. Not just any minivan, one that had Steep Wisdom scrawled across the side in neon blue text with a bunch of cheesy promos and pictures around the teapot it was set against.

"You're joking." fell out of Jay's mouth instead of his quip. "A minivan? We're literally going to kill each other if we're stuck in that thing."

"Depends how long we'll be in there for." shrugged Skylor hopefully.

Wu leant out of the driver's seat, his hat bumping against the top of the window. "It's a four hour drive students, make sure you've used the toilet and are prepared for the journey ahead!"

"Yeah, we're gonna kill each other."

A/N: roadtrip???? Wu in a minivan?? Hippie wu??? So yes, the plot will pick up! Two weeks of chaos and training and learning about their elements. I've written up quite a bit for the elemental archives and their whole system, really the fun part, but then comes having to do maths to figure out how many elemental masters have come before. Also in case you don't know/haven't noticed (how, idk) but i am crap at writing romance, however love is always a strong point in stories and i need to work on that so yes* i was listening to AC/DC while writing this chapters and i am ready to have a battle of song choices next chapter in the minivan. Until next week!

ALSO WHAT THE FUCK GUYS I SAID THANKS FOR 2.7K LAST CHAPTER AND NOW MOS IS AT 3K??? SOMEONE DO THE MATHS BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOLKS

-dommie out