A/N:  This one is dedicated to MasterofCupcakes .  She wrote me a seriously awesome Vampire Jaya AU - go check it out!

MoC mentioned that there were barely any jaya fics exploring the long year between season 7 and 8.  Here is my take on one of their adventures.  This takes place about one month before the start of season 8.  (Apparently, I am incapable of writing a short action-adventure one-shot.  This will be three parts in total.)

Jay crouched in the dark corner, anticipation gnawing under his skin. There were six armed guards and at least twenty workers. But there was no boss in sight. He tightened his grip on his nunchucks, running through a mental checklist of options.

What started as a lead on Master Wu's whereabouts turned into an impromptu drug bust. Organized crime: same old story, sometimes new players. Someone had figured out how to refine Hypnobrai venom into a highly concentrated hallucinatory drug that was sweeping through the seedy underground belly of Ninjago City.

With Garmadon gone and then Wu's sudden disappearance, another power vacuum formed. The problem with power vacuums is that they never last long, and the rush to fill the void often leaves a bloodbath in its wake. What should have been a new age of peace after the defeat of the Overlord was turning into a headache for the ninja. Cartels, gangs, new villain of the week; it was never ending.

Jay could easily kill the lights with his powers and take out this manufacturing operation, but it would only perpetuate the game of drug-bust-whac-a-mole. Whoever was running the operations was keeping everything compartmentalized. The workers knew nothing. The guards knew nothing. Even the delivery runners knew nothing. Take out one drug ring and another would pop up overnight.

He needed intel.

Jay quietly jumped up into the rafters of the warehouse to get a better view. Everything about the operation was standard level badguy. The workers were dressed head to toe in scrubs, complete with face shields and masks. The guards had on too much body armor and were wielding intimidating looking rifles, standing two a piece at all the entry points of the room.

The Blue Ninja sighed in frustration, realizing that his only option was starting to look like: take out the operation and get no information on the big bad. He edged his way along the rafter, careful to not make a sound as he positioned himself to strike. Just as he was about to drop down and wreak havoc, a door flew open and a driver walked in. The armed guards didn't even flinch. Odd.

Jay stifled his breathing and watched like a hawk. The driver was ordering the workers to start loading - which was nothing out of the ordinary, but then did something that made him grin like a kid in a candy store. The driver pulled out a cellphone. Bingo.

Jay was going to get his intel.

The driver started heading toward the exit and Jay realized he had to act fast. Years of training allowed him to quickly and quietly traverse the room from his overwatch position in the rafters. As the driver exited the room, Jay jumped down without a sound. With the door at his back, he landed in between the two guards, grabbing each one by the shoulder. Before they could even blink he let loose 50,000 volts of electricity into their bodies. They crumpled in his grasp and he slowly lowered them to the ground without a sound, then slipped out the door.

Who needs tasers when you are the Master of Lightning?

The cold night air slammed into his face like an unwelcome kiss. After a quick survey of the surroundings, Jay jumped into an awning to remain hidden from view. He congratulated himself for not blurting out a witty retort as he took out the guards. It took a lot of effort to restrain himself from passing up a perfectly good opportunity for a joke.

The dimly lit alley looked like any other; overfilled dumpsters, abandoned homeless encampments, and the obligatory stray cat. The only difference was that this alley held untold secrets of daily criminal activity.

Jay spied the driver back in the car, no longer on a call but scrolling aimlessly through their phone. He would sneak up on the vehicle, zap it and fry the electronics so the driver couldn't make a getaway, then pull them onto the rooftop for interrogation. The plan was coming together beautifully and Jay resisted the urge to pat himself on the back in celebration.

As he was about to drop onto the car, a glint of light caught his eye. Jay watched with mild curiosity as a dark figure moved through the shadows across the alley. He frowned. Either the driver had a security detail, or Jay now had some competition.

The other assailant had their sword drawn and was making a beeline for the car. Competition it was then. Anger scratched at his veins. He wasn't going to let a perfectly good intel opportunity go to waste. He would incapacitate the car and the competition with one strategically placed bolt of lightning.

As the other assassin approached the car, Jay noticed that their movements looked vaguely familiar. But he filed that information away for later. Now was not the time for hesitation.

His elemental power thrummed and stirred, itching for a fight. With muscles coiled and bated breaths, he waited for the opportune moment to jump down to the ground level. The katana-wielding assailant was almost at the car. Jay made his move.

His footfalls were inaudible as he dropped to the alley below, sprinting towards the hood in a crouch to avoid detection. The driver was so engrossed in their phone that they didn't notice the katana being wedged into the passenger door to pry it open.

Jay had to force himself to not laugh. The competition was making it too easy for him. His electricity would be conducted by the blade of the katana and simultaneously TKO the wielder and the car. Like stealing candy from a baby.

A familiar feeling pricked at his spine. The welling surge bubbled up, wanting to be cut loose and cause chaos, but he harnessed the power as his fists slammed down onto the hood of the car, pumping unknown joules of energy into the unsuspecting victims.

Sometimes, Jay desired the ability to watch the world in slow motion. Lightning powers were awesome to command, but it always happened so quickly. Blink and you would miss it. Maybe he saw it, or maybe he imagined it, but it was almost hilarious as he watched the driver look up with panic as their phone dropped from their grasp. At the same time, his blue lightning lapped up the sharp blade of the katana, greeting the owner with an unwelcome electrocution.

Everything was going according to plan. Until it wasn't.

What Jay didn't expect was his competitor to scream in pain. It was an incredibly girly scream, underscored with anger, and it reminded him of all the times he accidentally shocked Nya during sparring sessions.

Oh.

Shit.

Fortunately for Jay, the driver was still stunned stupid and fumbling around with their phone, not yet paying attention to the two ninja assaulting their car.

He catapulted himself over the hood, landing next to the other ninja who had slumped to the ground from the electric attack.

"Nya?" he ventured, praying that he was wrong. She responded with some choice words.

Dang. It was her. Jay was going to hear about this for weeks.

Nya paused her verbal shakedown and looked past his shoulder. "They are getting away," she said through labored breathing. Jay whipped his head around, spying the driver running like a maniac towards the warehouse doors, then turned his attention back to Nya, irritation crawling under his skin. His intel was slipping away, just like his well thought-out plan. "Go!" she wheezed, "before they call for backup!"

Jay didn't need to be told twice. He darted after the driver, hitting them with a well aimed bolt of lightning and watched in delight as they tripped and fell to the ground. The cellphone slipped from their grasp, skittering across the harsh concrete of the ally.

He needed to act fast. That was the one drawback to his powers. After a significant attack, he lost the element of stealth. Lightning wasn't known for being quiet.

Jay jumped over the driver and made a mad dash for the cellphone. After tucking it into his pocket, he returned to the driver, grabbing them by the collar and hoisting their still stunned body over his shoulder, then scaled up the fire escape to the roof.

The blue ninja grunted from exertion. Judging by the bulk and deadweight of the driver, Jay assumed it was a man. Electricity hummed in his bones and he tapped into that power to climb faster, not wanting to get caught by the guards running outside the warehouse due to his elemental power's loud announcement of the activities in the alleyway. Hopefully, the two guards he knocked out by the main door were still unconscious.

Jay threw the driver onto the rooftop with little regard for their well being. The man pulled his facemask off to breathe better, shuffling back in an awkward crab-walk. Lightning crackled in Jay's hands.

"Talk," he ordered.

"Pffttt. Like I would talk to you," the driver shot back. Jay took one slow step forward and the man flinched. A sly smile tugged at the corners of Jay's lips. He was thankful it was hidden behind his ninja mask.

He was going to get his intel.

"I think," Jay started, voice low and deliberately intimidating, "you have a lot of interesting things to tell me about your little operation downstairs." The driver tried to hide his gulp as Jay continued, "And you are more than just a basic delivery man."

"You're delusional," the man deflected, scurrying back a few more paces, "I know nothing. Plus you hit your comrade. Some ninja you are."

Instead of taking offence and responding with a classic Jay outburst, his smile grew wider. His sensitive ears, refined from years of training, picked up on the sounds of Nya quietly ascending to the rooftop. Perfect timing.

"Yeah, I did," Jay responded coolly, "and she's not too happy about it. I think she's gonna take her anger out on you." He gestured to Nya approaching from behind, secretly wanting to pull out his phone and capture the terrified expression that spread across the driver's face.

"Ooohhhh," Nya purred as she made a show of cracking her neck, "I'm positively livid." She crouched down so she was eye to eye with the man. In one swift movement, she removed her ninja hood and mask so the driver could see her deceptively sweet smile.

"Did you know that electric shocks can cause violent muscle contractions?" Her voice was airy and light, melodic like a lullaby.

The man nodded slowly in affirmation.

"So violent, that the contractions can shatter bones," she continued with her impromptu lecture and watched as the driver's lips parted in fear. "Not only does the electricity paralyze you with excruciating pain, it can also break every single bone in your body."

The man's chest heaved as his breaths quickened.

"My friend here," she pointed at Jay, "does whatever I tell him. If I tell him to hurt you," her voice dipped dangerously low yet still honey-sweet, "He. Will. Hurt. You."

Jay crossed his arms and forced himself to maintain the facade. It was so hot when Nya interrogated low level scum.

The driver trembled, remembering the lightning elemental's raw display of power in the alleyway. "I-I'll tell you w-whatever you want to know."

Nya's demeanor snapped back to sunshine. "Wonderful. First, your name."

"X- Xiang." he stammered.

"Hi Xiang," she smiled. "This is how it is going to work. I will ask a question, and you will answer." Xiang swallowed thickly as Nya pressed on. "If I don't like your answer," she gestured towards Jay again, "you get to taste the lightning." She leaned forward, dark emotions warring over her face and whispered, "Spoiler Alert: it's not the fun tasting kind."

For a split second, Xiang's eyes darted to Jay. The expression plastered across his face screamed: help me and WTF does that mean?

Jay shrugged indifferently. Xiang's attention returned to Nya and Jay had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from bursting out into laughter.

"Next question," Nya pushed on as Jay shifted his attention to surveying their surroundings. If they needed to make a fast getaway, there was the fire escape that they ascended, a door leading to stairs inside the building (that was probably locked), and a few skylights covered by thick glass. A standard roof in a nondescript part of town, yet harboring criminal activity. Rooftops from the nearby buildings looked almost identical and were close enough to parkour onto.

There was an indistinct thrill that came from jumping rooftop to rooftop. Like traveling through a dense forest, jumping from branch to branch, the vibe was similar. Except, the cityscape echoed and hummed with life from Ninjago. He loved the way his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach every time he sailed over the gaps between rooftops, unsure if he would make the landing or end up as street meat.

Stars twinkled faintly through a hazy layer of smog. To the east, bright lights from the city center blotted out the night sky. It was almost romantic, if not for the impending drug bust.

Jay's steely gaze wandered back to Nya's interrogation. Xiang was singing like a canary, spilling delicious intel. Perhaps once this was all over, they could catch a movie or spend a night out on the town. Text messages and video calls were nice, but they were nothing like spending time in person - which was becoming more of a rare occurrence lately. Their search for Wu was sending the team to the ends of Ninjago, and they were picking off low-level criminals along the way. Certain organizations were gaining more traction, and info that they were collecting tonight would help curtail some uprisings.

The Blue Ninja tried not to fidget in his stance as boredom edged its way into his mind. Nya was plucking up juicy nuggets of information just fine without him, but he still needed to look like the menacing muscle if Xiang decided to get squirrely. He sucked in a deep breath to hide a yawn, then the tiny hairs on his neck stood on end. It had nothing to do with his elemental power.

The vibe of the atmosphere shifted. Jay tensed. He could hear his pulse pounding in his ears as he stifled his breaths, eyes darting around the landscape of the surrounding buildings.

They were about to be ambushed.

Nya seemed to notice too as her line of questioning stopped and she stood up, fingers twitching for a weapon.

"Well Xiang," she cooed, watching as her prey shivered, "it's been real, but now it is time for us to go. Have fun explaining to your superiors our little talk." Nya took a few steps back until she was next to her boyfriend.

"Five on the building to the west, two scaling the fire escape we came up, and three on the rooftop directly ahead," Jay whispered so that only Nya could hear.

"Impressive," she acknowledged, fighting back a smile at his keen surveillance. She could fangirl later. Their first order of business was to clear the field of enemies. "Jump straight ahead to take out the three?"

"It's like you read my mind." Jay smiled.

The couple took off dangerously fast, blazing past a confused Xiang as they leapt off the ledge and landed gracefully onto the next rooftop. Their movements were synchronized as they pulled into a roll to break their fall, then popped up with perfectly executed punches. The trio of assailants crumpled to the ground in a silent heap, unaware of what hit them.

An eerie whistling sound sailed past Jay's head. His eyes grew wide, realization dawning on him of the sound's source: blow darts from the two who had finally made it to the top of the fire escape. Instincts took over as he tackled Nya, diving behind the rooftop HVAC system.

Their chests heaved deeply as they quieted their breaths, anticipating their enemy's next attack. Jay grabbed a handful of throwing stars and gestured towards the rooftop they had just jumped from. Nya nodded in agreement, seemingly reading his mind. She withdrew throwing stars of her own and in one swift movement, the dynamic duo peeled away from their cover and targeted the approaching assailants. Their precision was impeccable. No throwing star missed its target, and the two assassins on the adjacent rooftop hit the deck, hard.

Before they had a moment to celebrate, Jay grabbed Nya's hand and pulled her behind the structure covering the rooftop access doorway.

"Can you take out the five across the way?" Her voice was barely a whisper, slightly shaky from her labored breathing. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins and her aura was beaming with radiance. Jay couldn't ask for a more beautiful partner.

"I can hit them all with chain lightning, but it will give away our position," he replied, eyes searching for another escape route.

"If those five are the last of them, then we can make a clean getaway."

"Yeah, but there might be several more on the ground or hiding from us," Jay countered, slightly disappointed he couldn't let his elemental power end this quickly," "if they see, and hear, my attack, I might as well shoot flares in the air to direct all the bad guys to us."

Nya frowned, accepting his explanation but still bothered by their predicament.

"I'm out of long range weapons," she said, "and I think you are too." Jay nodded in agreement. He was traveling light— hoping to find Master Wu, not expecting to take out an entire drug ring.

His area survey came to an end as he spied a tall building several blocks away. It looked like a hotel or apartment building with many posh balconies overlooking the city. Finding an open sliding door or breaking one open would be extremely easy for them and an excellent hiding spot.

"I'll take all five of them out with one strike, but then we have to run like our lives depend upon it towards that building," he said while pointing to the hotel. Nya followed his line of sight.

"Sounds like a plan," she smiled and Jay felt his stomach flip a little.

Jay closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Normal lightning strikes were almost second nature to him. But chain lightning required considerable concentration. After connecting the circuit with one person, he had to focus hard in order to make a connection with the surrounding targets. When it worked, it was a thing of beauty.

Lightning charged up his spine, down his arms, chaotic and wild, yet obeying his every command. His hands started glowing a telling blue as his body swiveled through the familiar mnemonics to execute his attack. Blue light exploded from his hands, hungry for a connection, zigging and zagging with a mind of its own but yielding to his control. It hit the nearest assassin on the opposite roof.

Jay grit his teeth and focused, pushing for more. Make the connection, branch out to the next. The lightning extended out from the first target, bifurcating twice towards the remaining four, excited to complete the circuit. It worked. Contact was made and the five assassins convulsed violently before keeling over and blacking out.

For the nth time that night, Jay was denied a victory dance. He smiled at his handiwork before, "Time to go," rushed out of his mouth.

Wind whipped through their hoods as they expertly jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Out of the corner of her eye, Nya noticed significant movement.

"OK, you were right," she whispered-shouted over the din of their escape, "there were soooo many more of them hiding."

Dread knotted in his guts. As much as Jay enjoyed being right, he wasn't too happy about this prediction. At least thirty assailants were honing in on their last position where Jay used his lightning attack. Fortunately, he and Nya were a few rooftops away now, but they still had a ways to go before reaching the hotel balconies.

Panic flooded his system as adrenaline seeped under his veins. All thoughts fled his mind except for one: keep Nya safe.

"There," he pointed towards a suspended monorail one rooftop away. It was risky, but if they made it in time, they could catch a ride and get closer to the hotel.

Nya grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Let's book it!"

In an instant they veered left, traversing over the rooftop with double-time, not even taking a split second to calculate their jump. They lunged off the ledge, flying towards the monorail car. Time seemed to slow down as they sailed in the air. Jay couldn't help the gleeful smile that crept across his face. They were going to make it!

Then, reality hit. The problem with gravity is, despite being the weakest of the forces, it still affects everything. Elemental powered ninja sailing through the air were no exception.

The familiar feeling of weightlessness hovered in Jay's stomach. They had stopped accelerating upwards. The fall was imminent. Jay had no time to think, only react. He grabbed Nya's hand, thrusting lighting out his other to boost them forward while throwing her over his shoulder.

She landed ungracefully on the car rooftop as Jay splattered into the side. He scrambled for purchase, searching for a handle or foothold, finding nothing. He almost, almost, laughed at his own misfortune as he slid down the monorail car window with the pitiful sound of a squeegee cleaning glass.

He finally caught a grip on the lower lip of the monorail car, barely hanging on with his fingertips as body whipped around like a pendulum, yanking painfully on his shoulder. The monorail car swayed slightly with his weight as his body dangled precariously over the streets below. It was a long way down.

"Jay!" Nya shouted and she looked over the edge, worry ghosting the delicate features of her face.

"I got it," Jay grunted, hoping he did in-fact have it. Sliding off a suspended monorail car and falling to gruesome death ranked low on his impressing-my-girlfriend list. Tonight was not a good night to end up as street meat. Electrocuting her before even giving her a hello kiss— what kind of gentleman does that?

It took two thundering heart beats for Jay to analyze his predicament. Using his lightning was risky. He didn't want to accidentally short circuit their free ride. Or draw more attention to themselves by creating another lightshow. The metal of the walls were too thick to puncture with a kunai for a handle. That left one option: a quick parkour climb up the side and with any luck Nya would catch him if he stumbled.

Three quick jumps and he successfully slammed his arm onto the rooftop, pulling himself up. Nya rushed to grab his hand as she helped pull him to safety. There was no time to thank her as they crouched low, with bated breaths and muscles tensed, waiting for the next jump.

The suspended car of the monorail hummed gently as Ninjago City whisked by underneath. Neon lights from skyscraper advertisements danced over them in a dizzy rhythm. An array of colors cascaded across Nya, bathing her in soft light and illuminating her elegance. Jay tried not to let his breath hitch as he stole a quick glance at her.

They steadied themselves as the monorail took a sharp turn, bringing them closer to the open balconies of the hotel. Electricity thrummed in his bones as he waited for the right moment to jump. They moved in sync again, subconsciously communicating with each other like dancers waltzing through complex choreography. This time, their leap was graceful as their silhouettes sailed past the full moon, landing equality gracefully onto a balcony.

Jay quickly dashed from balcony to balcony, finally finding a sliding door that was unlocked. He didn't want to risk tripping an alarm system by prying open a locked door. Nya scurried after him, quietly slipping into the room. After shutting the door and blinds, and observing the new surroundings for any threats, Jay snatched Nya into a crushing bear hug.

She melted into him, the strum of her elemental power entangling with his.

"I've missed you," he murmured into her hair. His heartbeat was steady and strong as his muscles curled around her. Nya's eyes fluttered closed, wanting to stay in his warm embrace forever.

It had been a long year of wild goose chases and disappointing leads on Wu's whereabouts. The last time she had properly seen her boyfriend was one month ago. After being in such close quarters with him for so long, she firmly decided she was not a fan of long distance relationships. They cherished what little time they got to spend together.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, taking a proper look at her ninja boyfriend. "I'm sorry for electrocuting you," he said sincerely, giving her a smile that felt like the first lightning storm of spring.

Mischief twinkled in her eyes and Jay felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. "And how are you going to make it up to me?" she purred.

"Well," he started, head tilting to the side as he suppressed the urge to grin like an idiot, "would you accept this as a peace offering?"

He watched with tepid amusement as Nya knitted her brows in confusion. It took a few seconds of digging through one of his gear pouches before producing the driver's cellphone. Nya's face lit up like fireworks.

"You didn't!" she gasped.

"Oh, but I did. A gift for you, milady."

Nya happily grabbed the phone from his hands. "We can hack it, but I'm not sure if I have all the tools I need right now," she murmured as she rolled it in her hand, inspecting the smooth surfaces.

"We should do it sooner rather than later," Jay replied, his attention shifting to the interior of the room. It was spacious and luxurious, with stylish couches and leather chairs in the common area, a small kitchenette with a marble countertop bar, and detailed wainscoting from floor to ceiling. Jay concluded it was either a penthouse or a presidential suite, with a hallway extending to additional rooms and a winding staircase leading to a second floor. A grand chandelier hung over the entryway, shimmering and bright, adorned with more crystals than what the room probably rented for. The hotel suite reminded him of his bio-father's lavish mansion. "Once badguy-central figures out it is missing, they might send a signal to wipe the phone," he said as he wandered into one of the bedrooms.

"Oh ho ho," Jay giggled out and Nya glanced up from her inspection. She found him in one of the rooms, faceplanted on the bed. "Rich Shintaro silk!" he exclaimed as he flipped over and made snow-angels in the sheets. Nya resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Jay, grow up," she mused playfully, taking note of how expensive the hotel suite looked.

"Seriously Nya, you gotta try this bed, it feels like a cloud of warm contentment."

"Jay, that is the lamest pickup line I have ever heard."

He propped himself up on his elbows and flashed her his signature cavalier grin. "You've been away from me for too long," he smiled, eyes sweeping over her with an appreciative glance, "There's too much tension in your shoulders. Your jaw is too tight."

He watched with increasing delight as her eyes narrowed into slits and her hands found her hips. She gave him an extremely unimpressed look.

"Come over here and let your favorite ninja melt your troubles away," he grinned unrepentantly. Lightning crackled between his fingertips in a flutter of sparks. "I'll shock you the right way. The way that you like."

Her jaw quivered, as if razer hot need sliced through her core and she pushed those primal feelings away for later. "Jay, focus," she said on the tail end of an irritated sigh. Then, mischief danced across her eyes. "Besides, who said you are my favorite ninja?"

Hurt flashed over his face, like the sympathetic glance of a kicked puppy, but only for a split second before he replied with, "you said so, remember? Blue is your favorite color."

Heat rushed up the sides of her face as she awkwardly scratched at her arm. Jay's grin grew wider. Exasperating Nya was one of his favorite pastimes, and he could tell by the way she shivered involuntarily that she realized Jay was not going to let her out-flirt him this evening.

She took two timid steps towards him. Anticipation pin-pricked down his spine and hunger strummed in his bones. He was teetering on the edge of patience, like waiting for an aloof cat to approach him.

Nya opened her mouth, as if to sucker punch him with another witty retort, but paused mid step as they both heard a soft thump echo from outside. They both tensed, trepidation flashing through their eyes.

Dang it. They were followed. Anger quivered through him like lightning, hot and bright. It scorched the air in his lungs and pulsed through his veins. His escape plan had failed.

Sometimes it felt like they never could catch a break. But they knew the risks, this was the lifestyle they signed up for. Still, it didn't make the sting any less.

"We were followed," he grumbled, stating the obvious in the off chance he was wrong.

"How?" Nya wondered, "we lost sight of them after we jumped on the monorail."

Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "They are tracking the phone!" he seethed, panic pitching up the timbre of his voice. He jumped off the bed and darted around the room in a jittery flurry.

They needed a plan, and fast, or they wouldn't be able to outsmart this ambush.