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Zane didn’t know how to feel about this new change.
It was true that he was a robot, but it wasn’t as if that was all he was. He was made to be a part of humanity, and not its slave.
Yet, he did not like the new change.
Jay had found an old remote a couple days ago, on one of their missions.
It was found in a musty little warehouse, behind one of Cole’s favourite bakeries, and on further inspection, it seemed to be important.
Zane thought of the little trinket fondly, until Jay pressed a certain button and Zane fell to the floor.
A startled yelp from Cole had his head swimming, blearly touching the spot on his head with his fingers, and pulling it away to see if there was any blood.
But then, he realised, he didn’t bleed.
Kai held him as he shakily got up, wondering what actually happened.
Jay had a sly but confused look on his face, as he looked between Zane and the remote in his hand.
He pressed another button, and Zane did a split.
Another button. A dance.
Another button. And another.
Until Zane was gasping tiredly from all the activities he had been doing, and Jay came up with a conclusion.
The remote controlled Zane, no matter how insane it sounded, it was true.
It started off as a joke, something to laugh about once they got back to the Bounty, but Jay had taken the remote with him and Lloyd frowned suspiciously once he saw it.
Now, as Zane mindlessly washed the dishes for the seventh time around, his eyes a dull yellow from the possession, he wondered if it were still funny.
It wasn’t to him, and the aches in his bones and the pain in his head explained that for him.
He couldn’t even control his movements or anything whilst under control, and it was giving him some quite nasty flashbacks from the Neverrealm.
But that was a grey area, nobody talked about it.
Sometimes, Zane just wanted to cry. Cry hard and long until he had no more water inside of him.
But that was impossible. The human body cannot run out of water from a trivial thing such as crying.
He focused instead on the last dish in his hand, hoping that after he finished, he could run back into his room and stay there for the rest of the day. He hoped he could get away before Jay noticed that he had finished.
Zane would do anything for his family. He would die for them.
But he was just so tired.
After he had found the remote, Jay had used it on him for all the chores, all the little things that Zane would’ve done anyways.
The laundry, the dishes, cleaning up the kitchen, cleaning up the entire Bounty.
Jay would ask Zane, and he would say no, but Jay would use it anyways.
Zane wondered why he even asked at all.
Lloyd glanced at him weirdly throughout dinner (that Zane had prepared), but the ice ninja hardly noticed. He was too busy trying not to pass out.
All hopes of sleep melted away when Jay told him to put and clean the dishes away.
Zane sunk into his bed, a relieved sigh escaping his mouth. He felt the wires under his muscles burn, and he winced.
He very much needed a massage, and he would do it on his own but his arms have seemed to stop working.
A small click from his bedroom door alarmed him and he frowned internally.
He hoped it wasn’t Jay.
The person at the doorway shuffled, and Zane turned his head, eyes widening before they crinkled in a gentle smile.
“Hello, Lloyd,” he beckoned, tilting his head in confusion when Lloyd made no move to come over.
The little kid had his hands tightened into fists at his sides, and he was glaring daggers into Zane’s own electronic blue eyes.
The ice ninja startled.
“Have I done something to upset you?” He asked.
“Why won’t you tell the others?”
Zane blinked.
“Excuse me?”
Lloyd snarled, his childish face curling.
“Why won’t you tell the others!?”
Zane smiled, confused, and tilted his head.
“Tell them about what?”
“About this.”
Lloyd held up the remote and Zane’s materialised heart jumped at the sight of it.
Wait, that's not right, he thought. I cannot be afraid of a piece of machinery.
Lloyd watched his reaction with an eyebrow raised.
“Why won’t you tell them you don’t like it?” He asked, a small, stupid, childish question that had Zane smiling fondly.
“It’s not as if I hate it,” Zane replied smoothly, biting his cheek as the lie slipped through. Lloyd eyed him wearily.
“That’s a lie,” he said.
This kid’s good.
Zane looked down at his socks, legs tangled together and hands holding each other. They were teenage mutant ninja turtle themed, a gift from Cole.
After a moment or two, he heard a soft sigh and felt the bed dip beside him.
Zane respectfully ignored the small act of kindness that came his way, Lloyd would have his head.
He also didn’t make a comment when Lloyd mumbled something, annoyed, and moved his hand to take one of Zane’s.
The child was much shorter than him, but it seemed he had more control in this scenario.
When he spoke next, his voice was softer than it was before.
“Why won’t you tell them, Zane? It’s obvious that it upsets you.”
The ninja was silent for a moment, and just when he opened his mouth to speak, Jay came barging into the room.
Lloyd jumped and flinched back, and Zane just sighed.
“Zaneeeeeee,” Jay whined. “Do you know where Cole hid my snickerdoodles?”
The ice ninja tried to hide his fond amusement, recollecting the hushed secrets Cole had told him and the wink that was sent his way.
He played along.
“No I haven’t,” he replied, smiling. Lloyd was glaring daggers at Jay, but the blue ninja seemed to not notice.
“Oh yeah, have you also seen the remote? I couldn’t find it.” Jay asked suspiciously, and Zane jolted.
“No, I have not seen i-it,” he attempted to stop his stuttering.
Jay looked even more suspicious then, and he stepped into the room.
But Lloyd made a snarl-like sound and Jay jumped back.
“He said he hasn’t seen it sparkplug! Get out!”
Jay frowned at his attitude, but shrugged his shoulders with a ‘sounds fine to me!’ and walked off.
Lloyd blew a raspberry to his retreating figure, mumbling darkly under his breath and turning his attention back to Zane.
He frowned, shocked and concerned when he caught sight of him.
Zane was staring in front of him, but his eyes were blown wide in fear and he was trembling. Shallow breaths made fog from his mouth and his skin was turning a pale blue.
Lloyd yelped and stood up, taking Zane’s shoulders in his hands and shaking them.
Zane barely heard him, too stuck in the mindless hurricane of dark thoughts that littered his mind.
Questions after questions, all without an answer that had him tumbling through them all.
He didn’t want to see the remote again. He didn’t want to feel like that again. He didn’t want to become possessed again.
He didn’t think he could handle it.
Lloyd bit his bottom lip, hard, and looked wildly around the room.
When he moved forward, his foot knocked against something and he looked down quickly.
A small brown chest, a box.
Lloyd opened it hurriedly, flipping through its contents without a care until he reached a small old photograph.
Zane was standing there with another man, his father?
The child quickly shoved the picture in front of Zane’s view, an attempt to calm him down.
Zane stared at the picture, feeling his breathing come more slowly now and his gaze focused slightly.
One shaky hand took the picture and he looked at it more closely.
You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
He traced his father’s figure with one finger, his eyesight returning back to normal until he was shivering from exhaustion.
Zane felt himself tilt backwards, eyes fluttering shut when someone caught him and gently set him down on his bed.
Red eyes, a blurry tuft of golden.
Zane fell asleep to the soft sound of Lloyd humming, and his photo in his soft hands.
There was soap in his wires.
Zane hissed internally as he stood back up, the gaps between his metal plates groaning. It had been some time since he last rebooted and worked on himself.
Unfortunately, that was all Jay’s fault.
Zane hadn’t been able to catch a break, chores after chores all piled up on his shoulders.
The laundry in his hands felt like boulders as he dutifully transported them to the washing machine, the reflection of his dull yellow eyes flickering.
Lloyd huffed as well, his tongue sticking out as he mopped the floors vigorously, and Zane would have smiled if he were able too.
He appreciated the child’s assistance, something he greatly needed. Maybe if they worked together and got everything done quickly, Zane would treat him to some ice cream.
A surprise.
The ninja felt the control in his mind flicker, a warning of Jay’s sudden appearance.
Well there goes that ice cream.
Zane saw him enter the laundry room from the corner of his eye, sucking on a blue raspberry lollipop and attention all soaked up by his phone. Lloyd frowned at him, but his expression softened a little when he noticed Cole next to him, headphones around his neck and letting out a sleepy yawn.
“Zane, could you do the dishes again? Thanks dude,” Jay finished his question with his own answer, walking off, but not before Cole shooted him a tired sorry glance.
Zane didn’t reply back. He couldn’t.
Lloyd huffed, eyes darting to the ninja and back to the floor, his cheeks dusted with an embarrassed pink.
“I’ll do the dishes,” he mumbled. “You just finish the laundry.”
Zane would have hugged him. He couldn’t.
He simply nodded and returned to the laundry, ignoring the ache in his wires.
Lloyd groaned, wiping his hands on his shirt, a white one with little blue elephants he had borrowed from Zane.
The dishes gleamed from their station, and the little kid smiled victoriously.
Dishes? Done. Laundry? Done.
Him and Zane were on a roll!!
He moved to turn back to his companion, curious if he had finished his own work when he was interrupted.
By his stomach.
It made a horribly loud gurgling sound, seconds before Lloyd keeled over, nausea creeping into his throat and a terrible ache where his stomach was. He pressed his hands to it and closed his eyes, willing for the pain to go away.
Usually, that’s how it worked. Lloyd just needed to wait a little longer.
He gasped when another cramp kicked in and his legs turned to jelly. Looking around frantically, he searched for something in the kitchen.
When was the last time he ate again?
He spotted a banana on the desktop, reaching out to take it and bite into it with relish.
But he stopped.
And moved his hand away.
The ninja wouldn’t want him taking their food away. They were already letting them stay, it would seem wrong to take anything without permission.
Besides, the cramps were gone now. He was fine.
Lloyd stayed there for a while, on his knees, on the floor.
He sighed through his nose, willing his mind to think about something else, ANYTHING else.
He thought about Zane.
The child had no clue on why he wouldn’t tell the other ninja that this mind control thing was something he greatly disliked.
It was so stupid!
If you had a choice to stop something, you should!
Lloyd grumbled and got to his feet, walking to the laundry room.
Ice cream would be good right about now.
How long had it been since he had ice cream again?
Probably when he was a baby.
Lloyd debated asking the ninja for a scoop the next time they went out.
He scoffed.
Yeah, as if that would happen.
He scratched at his neck, a habit. He knew not to do it too hard (memories of unsleepable nights, the antonixing sobbing he had to silence, the beatings, the bruises, the blood staining his shirt, the big blank eyes that stare and stare and stare-).
Lloyd blinked, and shook his head. Now wasn’t the time.
He watched his steps, giggling as he stepped on the cracks.
Let his mom’s back crack, see if he cares.
Lloyd hummed under his breath, running his fingers through the lines of the Bounty.
Zane must be done by now,-
Oh.
Oh.
Lloyd watched from the doorway, hiding himself from Jay’s and Cole’s view.
Truthfully, their backs were turned towards him so they couldn’t, but Lloyd had to make sure.
Zane was facing him though! Eyes still a vomit yellow and expression blank as he took in what Jay was saying, remote flashing in his hands.
Lloyd tuned in, this must be important.
“-the dishes, clean the deck, my room, the kitchen, sweep the living room…” he kept on going and Lloyd flinched, very annoyed.
Surely, Zane wouldn’t take this!
He flicked his eyes to his robotic friend, and stopped dead.
“Stop stop STOP!!!” Lloyd cried out, pushing past the two ninja and getting to Zane.
“What?” Jay asked, and finally, FINALLY looked up from his phone. Cole winced.
Zane was crying. He didn’t even know robots could cry!
Slow, icy tears making their way down his dull, expressionless face, and Jay gasped, switching the controls off.
Zane flinched and fell to his knees like an injured man, head bowed low. Cole rushed forward and took Zane’s face in his hands, whispering apologies and rubbing the tears away with his thumbs.
The ice ninja couldn’t comprehend what was going on, his mind seemed to be in a state of blurry dysphoria.
He reached one shaky hand to his face, feeling the wetness on his fingers and pulling back, confused.
Cole took those hands in his and kissed it, then Zane’s eyelids, and then his nose.
“I’m so sorry,” he kept on repeating and Zane wanted to tell him that he was fine! That nothing was wrong!
But he couldn’t even make a word out.
Lloyd stood next to Jay, hands tightened into fists and anger fuming through his veins.
He turned to him darkly, glaring up at him.
Jay seemed to have paused, eyes set on Zane’s face with an unreadable expression.
Lloyd snarled and kicked him, which seemed to knock Jay out of it.
He hissed and fell to the floor, glaring at Lloyd.
“What was that, you booger!” Jay groaned.
“Why didn’t you realise that Zane was upset? That he didn’t like it? Aren’t you supposed to be friends?” Lloyd fumed, too angry to attempt to explain.
“It was stupid to use the controller on Zane, it was stupid to make him think that all he is a piece of metal!”
Lloyd crossed his arms, and kicked him once more for good measure.
“You better fix this.”
“Lloyd!”
Zane frowned at him, and Lloyd’s eyes widened.
“We do not kick!” He said firmly, even though tears were still gushing out of his eyes.
Lloyd gaped.
“But he-!”
“No.”
Zane sniffed, and wiped his face tiredly, his blue eyes dulling slightly.
“Go to your room.”
Lloyd’s face seemed to have empty of any colour, the scratches on his neck illuminating.
He turned on his heel and left, without a word.
Leaving the mess behind him.
Cole sighed, digging in deeper in the couch.
He sipped on the hot chocolate in his hand and snuggled into the blanket he had tossed on himself and Zane, whose head was tucked neatly in his lap, and deeply asleep.
Cole ran his fingers through his boyfriend’s head gently, smiling softly.
He grinned, thinking about Jay’s apology and promise.
Thanks to Lloyd, the two had realised their mistake and stopped it.
Jay had smashed the controller whilst Cole hugged Zane, with little nothings (that meant the world to Zane).
Constantly repeating that Zane wasn’t just a robot. That he was part of the team. That he was their best friend. That he was meant for the greatest things and how he had achieved them.
That they were incredibly sorry that they made him think that way. That it wasn’t true.
That Cole loved him with the whole of his heart.
Zane had laughed and hiccuped, snuggling into Cole’s black shirt, pressing kisses to his shoulders.
Jay wasn’t good with words, he never had been, so he simply dropped to his knees and hugged him too.
Zane laughed wetly and kissed his forehead, bringing his face closer and nuzzling his nose.
All was forgiven, he said.
But Jay and Cole knew it wasn’t. It never would be.
The rock master sighed now, looking down at his lover warmly.
Jay had gone out on a surprise shopping trip for Zane (don’t tell him), and Kai had gone with him because Jay is completely unpredictable with money,
It was an apology, Cole could tell. And he loved it.
Zane mumbled, shifting his head closer to Cole, and the rock master giggled, setting his hot chocolate down and changing Zane’s position so Cole was lying down on the couch, head against the armrest and Zane is on top of him.
He mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes and turning his head towards Cole, who grinned and kissed his lips.
Zane blinked sleepy eyes at him, a soft smile on his face before he turned his head again and fell asleep once more.
Cole let him.
He would have a lot of gifts to deal with when he awoke.
Lloyd sat on the windowsill, looking out at the ocean. He marvelled in the millions of stars that blinked at him mysteriously, a welcome, he hoped, a message.
He sighed miserably, rubbing his stinging eyes in an attempt to calm them.
It didn’t work, and he groaned.
Lloyd felt his stomach churn again, and he glared at it.
“Stop it, you aren’t getting anything,” he scolded.
He had hoped that by helping Zane, he would’ve been able to receive some sort of snack to fill his stomach.
But then Zane had gotten mad at him, and the heavy rock in his chest prevented any attempt to ask for anything.
He didn’t even want ice cream even more.
…
Lloyd curled tighter around himself.
This was stupid. It was all stupid.
At least Zane felt better. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?
Everyone around you should feel pleased, everyone but you.
He winced as he turned his head.
Lloyd may have accidentally scratched his neck too hard last night.
It wasn’t his fault though!
It was just..one of those nights again.
He was fine though, only a little discomfort.
Lloyd sighed and leaned his head against the window.
He wondered if it would all be better if he just threw himself out of it. Would his body be crushed by the fall? Or the water? Or would it be sweet and soft, slipping into the water without a care.
Would the pain stop?
Would he finally feel free?
He banged his head against the wall. Stop it, Lloyd. Papa is waiting for you, remember?
And you’ll rule with him forever!!!
Lloyd giggled wetly, wiping his face with his sleeves.
Zane can suck my ass, he thinks, giggling again.
But then he stopped, thinking about the friend he thought he had.
He probably shouldn’t have kicked Jay. It was his own fault that Zane got mad at him.
God, he was so pathetic. Why couldn’t he be better?
He had already slipped a little apology note under Jay’s door. He hoped that would be enough.
If not, Jay could take his blanket? Or the little stuffed bear Nya had gifted him?
Lloyd didn’t have much stuff, but he’d give it all the Zane and Jay if it meant they’d forgive him.
He hoped they would forgive him.
He dug his nails into his stomach when it made another pitiful growl. He stood up, sighing, already walking towards the kitchen and hoping that no one was there.
He’d only take something small, he promises.
Lloyd remembered the banana from yesterday, if it was still there then he could take it!
But then what if someone realises?
What if they throw him out?
He was so deep into his thoughts that he didn’t realize he was walking into someone before he collided and Lloyd stumbled back.
Cole hands gripped his shoulders and steadied him, whilst Lloyd rubbed his head and looked up.
He was met with the warm blue gaze of the nindroid, and the child marvelled in his luck.
Out of everyone it had to be you!
“Lloyd!” Zane chimed brightly, and Lloyd felt his mood simmer a little.
But then Zane dimmed, seemingly taking in the strained eyes and the red marks littering his neck.
“Are you alright?” He asked uncertaintly and Lloyd's eyes widened.
If he told him what was wrong, would Zane deem him a burden?
Would he chide and pester him and call him a child?
Would he throw him out?
Zane’s cold hand cupped his cheek with a soft but worried smile.
“You can tell me, Lloyd. I can try and fix it.”
Lloyd felt stupid as he tried to find his words.
“Y-You,” he started, and cursed his stuttering. But Zane edged him on.
“Y-You were m-mad,” Lloyd murmured, hands trembling. “Even t-though I was o-only trying to h-help.”
Zane frowned at that, and Lloyd felt his heart flip.
He knew he shouldn’t have told him! Now he was going to scream and yell and beat-
But instead, Zane went to his knees, one hand still on his cheek and the other resting on his shoulder.
“I-It was my fault though,” Lloyd quickly added. “Shouldn’t have hit J-Jay.”
The ice ninja’s expression was soft and sad and apologetic.
Apologetic? Really?
“I’m sorry for being cruel to you, Lloyd. It wasn’t my intention.” Zane said and Lloyd’s eyes widened.
“Really?” He whispered and Zane chuckled.
“Yes, kiddo. In truth I just did not want you to see my cry,” he winked mischievously. “How else would I keep my strong impression on you?”
Lloyd groaned, his head falling back dramatically.
“Stop it, you’re such a sap,” he proclaimed and Zane stood up, kissing his forehead.
“You love it. Now come on. Let’s go get some ice cream.”
Sparks lit up in Lloyd’s eyes.
“Ice cream!” He asked and Zane grinned.
“Yep! My treat!”
And when they had both sat down at a small playground, Lloyd inhaling his vanilla cone (he had picked the cheapest option and Zane noted that in his mind) and Zane chomping on his Strawberry Cheesecake, it seemed like all was good.
Because Zane wasn’t just a robot, and Lloyd had forgiven him.
But the eating problem, Zane knew he had to deal with.