Kai Mayason was both someone Ru wanted to stare at and someone she hated looking at simultaneously. His dark eyes were often warm, like sugar glazed over a rich, chocolate cake. A deep scar ran over his left eye. It'd left a notch in his thick eyebrows, drawing the viewer's gaze down his well-structured face. His grin was lopsided, but it left a singular dimple in his cheek that seemed to balance his entire facial structure out. While Nya was icily beautiful, Kai had the advantage of being ruggedly handsome—in a 'I woke up like this' kind of way.

     Harumi hated that he was interesting. She hated the fact that he'd noticed her enough to ask her if she would babysit for his ward, and she definitely hated the fact that whenever he entered the room he practically demanded her attention, just by being there.

     "Ru Wiggins, what the flipping heck happened to you?"

     His warm eyes had turned molten; they were the surging blazes of an out-of-control fire.

     Sure, Harumi had dived into polluted water to save her charge, had a panic attack over that one time she killed someone, had her jacket (and her loan payments for the next month) stolen, and encountered a very creepy and insane woman, but there was no way in Ninjago she would cower to Kai Mayason. She didn't care how emotionally and physically and psychologically drained she was. She would tear off her own arm before she admitted weakness to the idiot who thought he could stalk her at school.

     "I fell into a river," Harumi said, putting a hand on her hip.

     "You fell into a river," Kai repeated blankly, looking her up and down. "People like you don't fall into rivers."

     "What's that supposed to mean?" Harumi's tone turned defensive. She didn't know what he was insinuating.

     "What happened?" His voice was scorching.

     Harumi crossed her arms, feeling the smallest tremble of fear, but keeping her wits about her. Her hand moved to her stomach, where her dagger should have been hidden—should have been. It was still lodged into her jacket. The jacket that some filthy rug rat stole. Harumi seethed, forcing the next words through her lips, "Lloyd fell off the park's swing set into the river. I dived in to help him. We came home so he could change."

     Kai paused briefly, looking her up and down again.

     "What? Do I have earthworms on me or something?"

     His liquid eyes met hers, and she'd never felt so entranced.

     "Your throat is bobbing," Kai said quietly. "It's your tell. What are you hiding, Ru?"

     Her hands desperately grasped for something behind her, only finding the marble kitchen counters. There had to be some weapon-ish thing she'd left out: a fork, a spoon, a knife—

     "N-nothing... wait, how do you know my tell? I've never lied around you—"

     He raised an arched brow, so, so similar to his sister's. Kai's presence was leeringly close, enough to the point where Ru could practically feel the warmth radiating off his skin. Chills erupted down her spine, and she suddenly wished for that dumb jacket. Not for the dagger, for the cover, for the protection.

     "What are you hiding, Ru?" he asked again, his breath heart-wrenchingly close.

     Two dead parents, killed by the Ninja.

     Two alive parents, wanting me found and captured.

     One alive boy, my brother and protector against this entire operation.

     His breath was cinnamon and pine. His breath was the hearth and all that rejoiced around it. His breath was warmth and love and laughter. She could taste it, so close...

     "Is Lloyd really Garmadon's son?"

      Kai's face flickered, then he paused. He stood there, looming over her, his unbearably comfortable presence far too close for Ru's comfort.

     After a second, he said, "Yes."

     "There was a woman—her name was Violet." Harumi fought to keep the stutters in, to keep herself under control. She would not cower to Kai Mayason. She. Would. Not. "I was buying candy for Lloyd when she cornered him. She wanted to know about his father... Garmadon. I shooed her away and came straight here. It's... it's why I haven't changed yet."

     Kai walked away, turning his attention to the many pictures that lined the walls. For the first time, Harumi realized they were polaroids of his friends. Nya was there too, smiling. Her makeup was less intense, and she looked happier than Harumi had ever seen her. There was a ginger-haired boy, a Hispanic boy, and that dark-skinned boy—Zane. Sometimes the polaroids would show them together, other times they'd be apart. But their faces were younger, lighter.

     "Do you want to ask me a question?" Kai said gently, not looking away from his friends.

     Very much, Ru's heart whispered, but her mouth stayed firmly shut. She didn't ask questions. Questions meant learning information about someone, and the more she knew about people, the better chance she had at getting attached to them. She had a week left to live unless she found the Ninja. What was the point of getting attached to anyone?

     Wait—her mission was the figure out the identities of the Ninja. Garmadon interacted with the Ninja a few times, seeing as he was one of the Mayor Aiza's many opponents. If Lloyd was Garmadon's son, then Lloyd had to somehow be connected to the Ninja... right?

     Harumi was so busy trying to put together the puzzle pieces that she didn't realize fabric was being draped over her shoulders. She looked up, and Kai was pressing a cup of hot tea into her hands. His letterman's jacket was offering her protection, but goodness, it smelled just like him.

     "Let's sit down," Kai offered.

     Harumi didn't argue.

     She was cold, wet, and miserable. Even if she had to endure the douchebag for a few minutes, it might be worth it to warm up.

     She hated that she was hyperaware of his presence. He was on the opposite side of the couch as her, yet it felt as if he were pressed against her clammy skin, feeding his magical warmth into her soul. She shivered, forcing herself to take a sip of the tea.

     "Do you want to say it or do you want me to say it?" Kai asked, resting his arms against his knees.

     "That I'm ruining your good couch?"

      He laughed, the anger sifting out of his features like ash from a fireplace. "No," he said after a few seconds, the only sound in the air being the shifting of the waters outside. "That you very much do want to ask me a question."

     Harumi tucked her arms into the jacket, soaking up its momentary warmth. "If Lloyd is Garmadon's son, then how are you and Nya looking after him?"

     "I thought you'd ask that." He grinned to himself, like this was all some sort of game only he knew the outcome to. "Here in the dregs, people don't exactly gossip. It's like I said before: people only come here because they're poor or because they want to hide. The main public of Ninjago City hates Garmadon for what he did. Nya and I came to hide Lloyd from that. He deserves to live a somewhat normal life."

     "Yeah, but why you two? You're never home."

     "You're more observant than you let on," Kai remarked. Harumi huffed, sending ripples across her steaming tea.

     "We... knew some people who thought we'd be the best at taking care of him—"

      "Just say it: you knew the Ninja."

      "No," Kai hurriedly said, cutting Harumi off. "We knew the Ninja's employers. The Ninja don't have outside contacts. It's bad for their brand, if you know what I mean."

     "No one to spoil their identities," Harumi sighed, cuddling further into a ball. "Yeah, I know."

     He looked back over at the empty fireplace, and at the pictures hanging above them. "Since you asked me a question, it's only fair if I ask you one."

     Harumi inwardly grimaced.

     "Is Morro really your brother?"

     She took a sip of tea of hide her relief. Harumi had been sure Kai had figured her out and wanted to confront her before he turned her in to the authorities. No, he just wanted to make sure her stupid lie was a lie.

     "No," Harumi said, "but he might as well be."

     "You two aren't dating?"

     Harumi just stared at him, and Kai started laughing again.

     "Forget I said anything." He grinned.

     "You are a moldy rat, Kai Mayson."

     "A rat who's going to walk you home."

     Harumi rolled her eyes when he got up from the couch to take her tea to the kitchen. His footsteps, as always, were light and focused. Everything about his easy strides were careful, cautious even.

     Kai Mayason was a boy who was always away from home, knew the Ninja's employers, and was somehow in charge of taking care of Garmadon's son.

     Harumi pulled the jacket around herself tighter.

     Perhaps this boy was worth investigating, even if it wasn't for blackmail.

     He might just be her link to the Ninja.