The subject of your search does not exist. Perhaps you misspelled part of their name.

     "Ru Wiggins?"

      Harumi slammed the laptop's screen shut, swerving around to face whoever had managed to sneak up behind her. The uneasy smile on her face faded when she saw who it was.

      Dark skin, white hair, electric blue eyes.

      Zane.

      He grinned, blinking unbelievably slow as he waited for her to say something. Harumi wasn't used to hesitating, but what exactly do you say to your employer's stalker friend who finally approaches you?

     "Hi," was the best she could come up with.

     Zane nodded. His hands were methodically wrapped around a stack of library books. "You are Ru Wiggins?" he confirmed.

     "Yes... um... have we met?"

     He blinked, one of his hands moving to scratch behind his neck. "No, I do not believe I have any interactions between us recorded—"

     "Recorded?"

     "—but I heard you work for my acquaintance Kai. We have known each other for years and I thought it would be pleasurable to introduce myself."

     Recorded? Pleasurable? What was this guy, a talking computer? Harumi did her best to smile, but she couldn't ignore the inquisition in his eyes. Why was everyone studying her? And were those white flecks in his eyes... moving?

     "My name is Zane Roberts. I am a studious graduate student who plans to progress into cancer research."

     "Nice to meet you." Had he followed her to the library? She'd gone straight there after her Biochemistry class, so it was possible. The library was only open when Downtown Ninjago University was open, and that was during school hours. Sure, Harumi's choice to come to the library would leave her no time to eat before going to babysit Lloyd, but it wasn't like she and Ro had a ton of food lying around either. They'd brought out the emergency can of beans last night, and it was only going to get worse from there. They had less than a week to turn in the Ninja. Harumi needed to be doing everything she could to learn their identities.

     "I noticed your uncomfortable reaction upon seeing me. Has Kai made you negatively aware of my presence in this school?"

     Why was he so monotone? "Uh... he's mentioned you. Not negatively."

     "Are you speculating that Kai is using me to view your activities here? I have read several articles about stalkerish tendencies, and I assure you that this introduction was spurred only of my own volition."

     Harumi had half the mind to slap him to see if it would fix his speech patterns. Maybe he was homeschooled or something.

     "Lloyd spoke of you looking like the lost princess. I just wanted to speculate whether that accusation was accurate or not."

     In a flash she was on her feet, but Zane was already a meter away, like he'd anticipated her sudden movement. His footsteps were just like the Mayasons', soft and cautious. Akin to a seasoned dancer. His scrutinizing, hawk-like, electric gaze watched her, pinned her.

     "I've had people say that before," Harumi said levelly. He was taller, but Harumi didn't cower. "It's only a coincidence. I've lived in downtown Ninjago City my whole life."

     His skin was incredibly smooth. She hadn't noticed it before, but with the yellow, artificial light hitting his face, she could see there wasn't a dent or crevice in it. That, and he was still blinking incredibly slow, as if on a timer.

     "You certainly share many of her features," Zane murmured, still studying her face. "Yet the princess had white hair, not black. Is black hair your natural color?"

     Harumi had never been so glad she was wearing a hat. Ro had helped her dye her hair when he'd first found her and she'd told him she'd needed to hide. No questions asked; it was just like Ro to do so. When a few months passed they saved up enough money to buy more, but recently her and Ro's luck with money was running out. Harumi's white roots were visible if you went looking for them, so she squashed them with a beanie.

     "Yes," Harumi said icily, sitting back down in her chair. "Maybe my parents were related to the princess's biological family. Too bad most university students are too poor to conduct proper background checks."

     "I suppose that is a legitimate answer," Zane replied. He took in her beige, dusty hoodie and black sweatpants as opposed his clean blue vest and crisp, white collared shirt. He was certainly not in need of cash. "Well, I am satisfied to find Lloyd's claims to be semi-accurate. Would you agree this introduction has been of use?"

     "Slightly."

     He seemed pleased by that answer. "Very well, I shall leave you to your internet searches. Goodbye, Miss Wiggins."

     Harumi didn't respond.

     When she saw his flat-topped haircut leave the library, she carefully pried open the college's laptop. She made sure retype 'Kai Mayason' as accurately as she could.

     The subject of your search does not exist. Perhaps you misspelled part of their name.

     Harumi paused, then typed 'Zane Roberts' into the search bar.

     The subject of your search does not exist. Perhaps you misspelled part of their name.

     This was getting continuously weirder. Unless both Kai and his friend were giving her fake names, then there was no trace of their existence recorded.

     "Lloyd Garmadon," she whispered as she typed the letters.

     Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon is the only son of Garmadon and Misako Montgomery Garmadon. He was born July 5th, —34. His appearance was listed as having light blonde hair, green eyes, and fair skin. Not much else is publicly known about the boy, as his existence was not revealed until the jail bombing that killed his father. Misako Garmadon was apprehended soon after the jail bombing—she was locked in Kryptarium for being guilty by association—and the whereabouts of Lloyd are unknown to this present day. It is unconfirmed whether he is dead or alive.

     Harumi switched to a digital map of Ninjago City, zooming in on her and Ro's place. It was listed as existing. But when she scrolled down the block to the blacksmith shop, the internet claimed the shop had closed down years ago. According to the internet, Kai and Nya's house was an abandoned building.

      Who owns this abandoned building, then? Harumi wondered, diving further. No bank had a claim on the house, nor any landlord. It took her half an hour, and she knew she'd be late to Lloyd's, but in the last second the right link popped up.

      The blacksmith shop was owned by one of the mayor's biggest funders, a building company called "Darnagom." They were trusted partners of Borg Industries, and they held the rights to this building. What was it Kai said, that his family had contact with the Ninja's employers?

      What if Darnagom was the one funding the Ninja?

      And if they were funding the Ninja, then why were they also hiding Lloyd's guardians?

     That night, when Nya dismissed her from the house, Harumi didn't quickly make her way home. When she saw the flash of a moving figure in the corner of her vision, she turned to look. Like usual, no one was there. But Harumi didn't give up. She waited and waited, keeping her senses stimulated and trusting her instincts.

     Off in the distance, something flitted across rooftops.

     And Harumi took off running.