jay

"He said yes? He really, actually said yes?"

"He did!"

"When are you gonna start making 'em?"

"This afternoon, the materials should arrive in our department at twelve, then after they've been washed and dried I can get to work." Annabella grinned, the pages from her sketch pad full of their brainstormed designs scattered around her.

Garmadon had finally said yes to their ninja gi ideas after a presentation, which he would tell the unbelievers about, that definitely swayed him with the addition of their future missions in mind. Like Annabella had said, the material was coming in and the clothing department would be getting on that as soon as possible with the lead designer showing the way.

Jay's smile broadened as Nya walked into the common area, her raven hair swinging in a ponytail. She was occupied with a small contraption, her fingers moving nimbly to readjust the fiddly parts. He raised a hand to wave at her but was met with an almost hurt expression. Her blue eyes darted from where Annabella sat next to him to Jay himself.

"Nya, we just heard that Garmadon approved the ninja suits!"

"That's great, Jay," she smiled, her face faltering for a second. "Will you and um, Annabella be working on it together?"

"Ah, Nya, you know despite my many talents, sewing and clothes are not one of them. I dabble in poetry—" Jay shut himself up, realising Nya would have heard this spiel before. Instead, a slightly bemused smile crossed her face, and Jay felt like he was sitting on a cloud at the fact that he had made her smile. It was one of those little things he loved about Nya.

"Well, I'm afraid breaktime is over, Walker, we gotta get to the Sim. Later, Bells, oh, and can I pick the colour for my suit?"

"Of course, Raven. I had a wide variety of blue coming in, so don't fret. I've got you." Annabella confirmed with the look that girls made, the one where a few words could mean an entire essay. It could either mean sausage, ham, pepperoni, lamb, or, don't worry, Jay's not my type.

Jay knew he wasn't a lot of girl's types, but it still kinda stung.

And Bells didn't eat meat. A lot of avocado, yes, but no meat.

He also hoped that meant he was Nya's type because Jay Walker still had absolutely no idea whether or not Nya liked him. Did he accidentally call her the nickname he'd kept in his head for years? Maybe, but an excuse could be given that he nearly died to some sort of fire. Nya was just - Nya - to Jay. She was perfect in every way and she'd swooped in to save him like a goddess, and she'd looked like one in the Final Battle.

Ethereal, breathtakingly ethereal.

All the while saving his sorry ass.

o o o

Some people didn't like the Simulator. They didn't like the idea of dealing with such a complex illusionary simulation, but to Jay, it felt like a massive playground. He could do literally anything in there, things Fritz Donnegan worthy. Jay stopped his solo mission in the Sim momentarily. Fritz Donnegan. He hadn't talked to the guy since he'd accepted the internship and everything had gone downhill too quickly to even think about it until now.

He wondered how his childhood hero was going, then continued with his scouting task.

The illusion constructed with SimTech had created a perfect reconstruction of the Palace of Secrets, as far as Jay knew from a jolting camera angle Morro had given them during the assassination of the royals. They'd managed to pinpoint the two identities of the killers shortly after the Final Battle. Morro's voice had matched what they knew from school. The other person they knew was referred to as Tox. They were the elemental of Poison, which explained the deadly gas used.

Jay sucked in a calming breath and adjusted the practice suit he was wearing, which was an actual suit, the sort of dapper, penguin looking clothing. A glance in the mirror was enough to tell him that if his nervous attitude in posh crowds didn't give him away, his bird's nest of hair would. He patted, pulled, and raked his fingers through the auburn mess into a temporary fix, and with a small time alert on his watch, Jay walked into the ballroom.

The imaginary scene was already a bustle of activity, with the whole ballroom a swirl of high energy, clinking crystal glasses and light, lyrical music. Jay gave his fake invitation card to a thin-lipped butler with a curly moustache. They checked it with a scanner. The affirmative beep might as well have cured Jay's nerves. Although he knew it was a simulation, it was as real as possible, and if the forged invitation couldn't get him through the real thing, he was royally screwed.

"Thank you, uh, good man?" Jay smiled, giving the butler an awkward mini-bow. The butler raised a brow and gestured simply to the refreshments table.

"Perhaps something to help with the nerves, sir?"

Jay's eyes widened as he gave the man a sharp nod and tried to look aloof and above everyone as he walked towards the bar.

"Hey, uh, should I really be taking him up on that offer?" Jay whispered into his comm as discreetly as possible. "I don't think my parents would approve of me—"

"There's water if you really need to drink, Fritz. Otherwise, eyes on the prize." Destroyer ordered, and Jay glanced at the array of drinks out on display. She was right, there was water nestled amongst the other bottles but Jay didn't want to pee at the moment.

"I'll pass. Location on target?"

"Few metres to your left. Don't engage until the party has really started. Sending in Raven and Roiya."

"Woah, hold up I thought it was a solo mission?"

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Fritz. They're coming in through the left wing entrance. Do not appear to know them, you may fake an introduction. Adding them to this line."

Nya and Pixal. Nya, And Pixal.

"Sup, Fritz."

"Hey Raven, Roiya."

Jay's heart seized as he tried not to scan the ballroom for Nya and Pixal. He had to keep focused on his mission. Continuing with mingling, Jay got himself a glass of sparkling lemon water just to have something in his hand. Everyone there was dressed to the nines - massive ball gowns and suits in a tight colour scheme of black and white with hints of gold and a little red, the colours of the New Era and empire. His own tux was completely black, a gold tie the only pop of colour. Annabella had made it and everyone else's outfits for the solo missions. Originally, they were all meant to take this mission on their own, but Troya had a habit of switching things up.

"Hello," smiled a lady a few years older or younger than Jay. "I don't think I've seen you around, handsome. What's your name?"

Jay tried to control the bashful grin growing on his face. "I'm Herbet."

"Herbet?" Troya hissed in his earpiece. Jay flinched and smiled even more. "Herbert Bond."

"As in James Bond, the movie spy?" the woman's smile turned puzzled. Her gloved hand carried her crystal glass to her lips and she sipped long and slow.

"Oh, everyone assumes that, quite the running joke. Refill?" Jay offered, with what he hoped was a charismatic grin. She accepted the flute he stole off a waiter's plate, chuckling as she drew him to the side of the room.

"So, Herbert Bond, what do you do for a living?"

"I...am....an accountant. Yep, lots of accounting!" He grinned. He might have imagined it, but the sound of Troya facepalming managed to carry into his ear piece.

"Accounting, mhm," she sighed wistfully, staring out to the dance floor. The band was playing a sweet, slow song for couples to dance to. "My name is Angelica, by the way."

Jay scrambled for an excuse. "Sorry, I was just so uh, captivated by your um, beauty, that I forgot to ask you your name and instead I wanted to ask you..." his gaze slid to the white and gold checkered marble floor, his heart thumping at twice the rate of the music. "To dance. If you want to dance with me, I mean."

Angelica smiled winningly, depositing her champagne glass on a nearby ledge. "I'd love to dance, Herbert Bond."

Jay's current problem? While trying to keep an eye out for his target, he also had to pretend he knew how to dance. And it wasn't the high school disco-prom dance either, it was a sophisticated tangling of legs and arms he didn't want to face. But he'd gotten himself in this situation, so he had to get himself out of it. If there was one thing Jay was good at, it was joking his way out of a situation. Ergo, it was time to de-charm Angelica.

"So," Jay tried not to step on her red heels as they whirled around another couple. "Have I told you about being the STEM club president at my high school?"

"I love a smart guy," Angelica gave him a roguish wink. Jay screamed internally. Why was his plan not working? She looked like she wanted to plan their wedding together and the only person he wanted to do that with was Nya. But Nya didn't know that, and Jay was totally cool with keeping it that way.

"Well, uh, I like to lick my dirty socks before putting them in the wash." he blabbed, lying straight through his teeth. Angelica pulled back with badly-hid disgust.

"Uh, sorry, I must go. It was, um, nice speaking to you, Herbert." Jay waved cheerily as she staggered off a little tipsy and very much away from Jay.

"Nice job, Fritz. Didn't know you were that good at scaring off potential suitors," drawled a very familiar, very unwelcome voice.

"Reaper," Jay tried to seem friendly as he spotted Pixal from across the room, wearing a dark grey, practically black, off the shoulder dress that shimmered under the light. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd check in on your progress. How's the wooing going?"

"Shut up," he hissed, crossing the room to Pixal. Jay aimed for the shrimp platters and pretended to stumble drunkenly over to Pixal, straight into the wall next to her. Feigning a bump on his head, Jay groaned and extended a hand out to her, laughing inside.

"I'm Herbert Bond."

"Jolie Yannanura. It's lovely to meet you, Mr Bond." Pixal seemed to have much more control over her features, her lips unmoving from a slight smile. Jay's cheeks were puffed with laughter that he let out slowly in a long sigh.

"You too, Miss Yannanura. Excellent ball, isn't it. Seen anyone that catches your eye?" Jay was playing it safe and cautious. How this mission would play out with two extra people would be interesting.

Pixal sipped slowly from her glass and made a face. "Oh yes, but I think he's quite enraptured with another lady at the moment."

She lifted a finger to point at a couple on the dance floor, smack bang in the middle. The guy had sandy hair and a white tux, looking the ying to his partner's yang. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun, strands falling down her back with her red and black ball gown.

"Is that — is that Raven?" Jay shrieked in a low whisper. The target spun Nya perfectly to line up her startling blue eyes to meet Jay's. They flicked away the next second like she hadn't seen him.

"I don't know who you're talking about, Mr Bond, but perhaps if you step in, we can, say, switch up the dance partners a little."

Jay smirked, running a hand through his hair. "Sounds like a good plan, Miss Yannanura."

Pixal split off deliberately in a separate direction, taking the right wall of the ballroom to approach, slipping in and out of the crowd. Jay took the left route, continuing his intoxicated stumble towards Nya. Why was she dancing with that guy? Their target? He coughed into his fist, leaning against a thick beam. Nya and the target were directly opposite, with Pixal on the other side. Jay was debating whether or not to cut in before Pixal did, but the android was already gliding forwards towards them.

Jay hurried forwards, tripping over hems of dresses and apologising profusely to get to Nya. She spun out, right into Jay's arms. He stepped in gracefully, one hand clasped in hers, the other on her waist. She quickly smothered her startled expression, craning her neck subtly to check where Pixal was whirling about with the target.

"Herbert Bond," Jay said, his cheeks burning red. What a stupid name. Nya probably thought it was a stupid name.

Instead, she gave a light giggle and passed under his arched arm and back into his hands. Jay's ability to dance had improved tenfold, his feet no longer felt like flippers, his hands knew what to do and he even managed to slip in hushed conversation as the music swelled.

"Jolie's dancing with you-know-who right now to keep him occupied, uh..."

"Penelope Grassband," Nya sniggered into Jay's shoulder. Pixal passed with a very alarmed look on her face, posture rigid and stiff as you-know-who paraded her about the dance floor. "And I have a plan, Bond."

"Oh?" Jay twirled under her arm and nearly slipped on a patch of wet floor. "Do tell, Miss Grassband."

"We're going to knock him out if Jolie can get him away from the dance floor."

"Brutal," Jay quipped. Nya subtly stomped on his shoe with some very pointy heels under the cover of her dress. "Effectively brutal."

She smiled sweetly, curtsying with a grand sweep as the music ended. Nya tugged on his arm, one finger on her camouflage ear piece as they walked towards a side door of the ballroom.

"Roiya, we're going to need you to bring in you-know-who to our location. Tactic Strike Out as planned should be good I think."

Jay nodded to himself. Tactic Strike Out was quick and efficient with little to no blood. Nya had made a good call with that, but Jay was feeling a bit miffed she'd sort of taken over his own mission.

"Alright, Roiya, Raven, Fritz, you have thirty minutes to finish this. Reaper out." Astra's mic made a muffled sound as she left the room and disconnected from the call. Exhaling slowly, Jay rubbed his hands together and hopped from foot to foot. Without Astra's silent, overbearing presence he could concentrate more and not be worried about messing up.

"Target's coming with me. Prepare for Strike Out." came Pixal's soft voice. Jay rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles, shook out his legs and then flipped up the back of his tail jacket. Pulling out the nunchucks hidden vertically along the spine (which made his back look really weird and knobbly), Jay gave the weapon a few test flings accompanied with some excellent audio effects. Nya shot him a disgruntled look from her position on the other side of the door.

Jay had the palace's floor plan burned into his brain by Troya. They were in an outside corridor that wrapped all the way around the ballroom, where bathrooms, private rooms, cupboard and hundreds of passages split off from. Pixal would lead you-know-who through the doorway in between the ambushers and Strike Out would commence.

Listening for the soft footfalls on the red carpet, Jay was just able to tell the difference from Pixal's heels - a soft, delayed one-two, and their target's clomping footsteps. In perfect unison, Jay and Nya leapt out into the corridor and started the scuffle. Pixal jumped out of the way, fishing out rope from the seams of her dress. Nya was taking on Gary - wasn't even his real name, but it worked - her collapsible trident expanded to full metal form.

Gary seemed to know his way around weapons too, pulling a decorative katana off the racks on the wall to parry her strikes. Jay closed his eyes, confident that Nya would hold him off while he prepared his part of Strike Out. He held his nunchucks flat in his hands and pulled forth the memory of the first lightning storm that had made his video go viral.

He grasped on the memory of fear and awe, forcing him to an amazement stand-still of shock. The lightning caged around the junkyard, sealing him in and trapping him essentially, slowly closing in, electricity crackling with power. Jay took all of that and channelled it into his nunchucks, a technique Garmadon begrudgingly taught them. Since their elemental powers were fickle right now, channelling them specifically through a weapon would do better than trying to use their hands only. That was for the more experienced.

Jay jumped forwards with a silent war cry, waving his nunchucks in a series of distracting movements. Nya cleared the way for him as Jay engaged Gary in battle. He flipped his nunchucks over, relishing in the bursts of power coming from the weapon. Gary lunged forwards, giving Jay the perfect set up for Strike-Out. From the outside of Gary's arm, he pushed Gary's left arm inwards and slammed his nunchucks down on his head. The electricity popped and shocked Gary into statis, effectively performing a Jay version of Petrificus Totalus.

"Nice job," Nya grinned, sliding her trident into her back sheath. "Roiya, you good?"

Roiya nodded from where she was tying up Gary's hands behind his back, pulling at the sturdy knots to check them. "Let's go."

Pixal and Nya took Gary's slumped, trussed up body and carried him between the two with Jay leading the way out of the building. His visualised map of the palace was a perfect copy of the real thing, allowing the trio to hurry through the corridors relatively unseen. They made it out to their escape route - a black Master's van with no trouble except a guy Nya knocked out.

"He was looking," she said stubbornly, arms crossed with a bemused smile.

"And now he's potentially dead." Jay pulled a morbid face as the van spluttered to life under his feet.

"He's unconscious," Nya corrected with a smile. "By the way, good job out there, Fritz."

"Not too shabby yourself."

—

A/N: i want to strangle so many people (fictional and real) i think i need to just sleep for a week, yes, more than i already do, and just like forget all of my responsibilities because I hate them. Motivation = gone for everything but writing and minecraft. Um. maths sucks, props to stem students but im going into a full ib program so why.

This chapter's song is 'Burning Pile' by Mother Mother

This chapter's Q is: who do you think is most likely to commit arson out of any of the elemental task force?

My A: either kai (because, um, yeah, fire powers) or astra and lloyd just causing chaos.

-dommie out