mattecat | Ninjago: Bright Future

Summary: Cyrus tries to believe that people can create a bright future, even as all seems hopeless. Ninjago Season 3, as seen from Cyrus Borg's perspective.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence.

Notes: Originally posted on archive of our own on October 31st, 2019.

Bright Future

They almost find him too late. When his rescuers discover Cyrus in the tower, it's been days since he had food or water. While they look for one of his wheelchairs, one of the construction workers hands him a glass that he nearly spills on himself gulping down.

His right arm feels – well, it doesn't feel like much at all. He doesn't remember what happened until his mind is out of his dehydrated haze. The realization, the recollection, it hurts more than the gnawing hunger in his gut, and he holds the unfamiliar hand in front of his face, opening and closing his fist.

He uses his left hand to comb his hair over the bald spots on his head, where electrodes had been attached to his scalp. To keep him unconscious, probably. He tries not to think too hard about it.

There are more important things to deal with. Cyrus resists the urge to pick at the metal plate embedded in his chest and tries to figure out a course of action. The hard drive is gone. Pixal is gone, not that she would have power, not that she wouldn't be infected with the same virus that spread across the entire network if she did have power –

"Sir," one of the workers says, and he turns around to look at them, all gathered in a worried cluster. "We should head down to the others. Unless there's something here…"

Cyrus looks back at the missing hard drive, at the empty surface where he was operated on – with no electricity, the room is dark. Is he imagining the dark stains where his blood was spilled? Would the Overlord have cared about cleaning it up?

"You're right," he says. "Let's get out of here."

The citizens are surprisingly amicable towards him, asking him if he's alright, expressing gratitude he's alive, their eyes lingering uncomfortably long at the tubes and wires in the plate on his chest. Cyrus covers up his discomfort with chuckles and some remark about how humans are remarkably adaptable, and goes along with the show they're putting on with the postman.

The metal in his chest hurts often. Cyrus tries to find a place he can sleep away from everyone else, but without power, he's limited by where his wheelchair can go, and he's not about to ask anyone to carry him up and down one hundred floors to sleep in his room in the tower. So he stays in the lobby, sleeping on one of the couches. There's usually a handful of others scattered around the room, but they tend to leave him alone.

He thinks about Pixal often. Where is she now? Lost, somewhere, her chassis abandoned with no power – Cyrus' left hand trembles, the one that's still made of flesh and blood. He wants to leave, he thinks, lying on the couch and staring at the ceiling. He should find her. Why don't any of the citizens realize this is his fault? Why don't they exile him, so he can search for Pixal, even if it's hopeless, even if she's gone –

He drifts off to sleep.

"Sir, the system scan has picked up what appear to be corrupted files."

"Hm." Cyrus glances up from his desk. "Were they of any importance?"

Pixal's lips curve down in an emulation of a human's frown. "Uncertain. Though they are not called on by any other part of the network, they appear to be calling on functions of their own."

"Probably best to delete them. Could you take care of that for me?"

"Of course, sir."

"Excellent! Thank you, Pixal."

Cyrus goes back to typing on his computer, writing lines and lines of programming for the device he's sitting on. The prototype for the mechanical legs has already been completed, enough for him to feel comfortable using them, but the controls aren't as smooth as he wants them to be. Well, as his parents always said, there was nothing the mind couldn't fix.

His computer stops acknowledging the keyboard. No matter what keys hey presses, the cursor sits there blinking. He wiggles the mouse, found that to be unresponsive as well, and furrows his brow. "Pixal? There's a chance those files may have been more important than we thought."

No response. "Pixal?" Cyrus repeats, looking up.

Pixal is standing stiff and still, her eyes blinking red. Cyrus' heart leaps into his throat. "Pixal?!" he shouts, grabbing the controls for his artificial limbs – they refuse to move. "Pixal! What's going on?!"

He grabs his phone – the entire network is down. The words "fatal error" echo in his mind, and he's seriously considering climbing out and crawling for help when the artificial limbs start moving.

"Oh, thank goodness," Cyrus says, and he takes hold of the controls again. They don't listen to him. He tries to steer to the right; he's taken to the left instead, mechanical legs lurching towards the window.

"Stop!" he yelps. "Stop! What's happening?! Pixal! Someone! Help!"

"WHERE AM I?"

The voice is staticky through the speakers, and the artificial limbs stop just before the glass; in his rush to get out, Cyrus more falls than climbs down from them. He hits the floor hard and crawls back towards the desk, his heart pounding. He doesn't get very far.

He hears the clicking of the robotic legs scuttling across the floor, and one of them jabs him hard in the back, stopping him from going any further. He gasps, screams – "Help! Help! Pixal! Someone, please –"

"I DEMAND ANSWERS," the voice snarls. "WHO ARE YOU? WHERE AM I?"

Cyrus struggles to get away. The leg presses down harder. He swallows hard and tries to speak.

"My – my name is Cyrus Borg, I – please, please –"

"WHERE AM I?"

"The – Borg Tower, you're in Borg Tower –"

"WHERE AM I?"

"I – I – I don't know what you mean, I –"

The pain is unbearable. Still, whoever is controlling his artificial limbs presses ever harder, and Cyrus can't suppress a sob.

"I CANNOT FEEL. I CANNOT –" The computer on his desk changes. Through his tears, Cyrus can see a red and purple image flickering on the screen. "WHAT IS THIS PLACE? IT DOES NOT FEEL. IT IS NOT PHYSICAL. WHAT IS THIS?"

"Who – who are you?!" Cyrus cries out.

There's a long silence before distorted laughter fills the room. "YOU MAY CALL ME YOUR OVERLORD."

Horror seizes his chest. Cyrus can't breathe. The leg lifts off him and he rolls himself over, scooting backwards along the floor until he's pressed against the window, his heart pounding.

He can see the security cameras aimed at him, can see every computer screen displaying the same image: red eyes on a purple haze. Cyrus covers his mouth to muffle his sobs, his eyes wide in terror.

How? How? The Overlord was dead! Defeated by the Golden Ninja! How was he here, in Borg Tower –

– the tower that was built on the exact spot the Overlord had fallen –

The artificial limbs approach him again, the legs clicking on the floor. Cyrus can hear something else, metal footsteps – "Pixal?!" he blurts out when she comes into view. "Pixal, are you – ?!"

Pixal's eyes flash red. Her face is neutral, expressionless. Cyrus' words catch in his throat and his mouth hangs open. "Pixal," he croaks, reaching for her. "Pixal, no, no, please, no!"

"YOU ARE AWFULLY ATTACHED TO THIS TOY, AREN'T YOU?"

"Please," Cyrus says, his voice trembling, "please – don't hurt her!"

"THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING ARRANGEMENT YOU HAVE," the Overlord says, his voice flitting across the room. "I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, A NETWORK OF FEELERS STRETCHING ACROSS THE CITY – FURTHER, PERHAPS."

There were so many benefits to a citywide network – risks, too, but Cyrus had never considered this, the concept that an embodiment of evil itself could be lying dormant in their network, able to override all the controls, all the safeguards –

"BUT…"

The artificial limbs step slowly to the window, almost as if they're looking out at the view.

"THERE IS SOMETHING MISSING. I HAVE BEEN… NOT DEFEATED, OH NO. DIMINISHED, PERHAPS. I CANNOT REACH INTO THE PHYSICAL WORLD. I MUST REGAIN MY FORMER STRENGTH."

Cyrus knows where this is going. The Overlord isn't going to keep him around unless he's of use. He wants to rebel, to say he refuses to help, that he would rather die than serve him – but Pixal, Pixal… Cyrus stares at her, meeting her unrecognizing red eyes and hopes more than he's ever hoped that her programming is untouched. That the Overlord is merely overriding her systems rather than overwriting. He hopes that she can be returned to normal, his creation, his pride and joy, perhaps even his daughter –

So when the Overlord turns to him and tells him, "YOU WILL DO AS I SAY," Cyrus nods and stammers his agreement.

If he lies down in the wrong position, the metal digs into the surrounding flesh. Cyrus wakes up with fresh blood staining his shirt. He should probably find a doctor for that, he thinks, and then he doesn't.

The day goes by like all the others, at first. He's indulging in mindless chatter with some of the others when they hear the crash. "What was that?" he says in alarm.

The woman he's talking to shrugs. "Something the mailman's doing? They set up another tripwire, and I guess some kid tripped it like they did the last one."

She doesn't seem bothered. Cyrus excuses himself and goes to see what's happened.

"Outsiders must answer to the postman!" he hears someone declare. Outsiders? When was that distinction made? Cyrus decides he needs to step in and assist whoever's come all this way.

Despite everything that's happened, when he sees the ninja have returned, he can't help but feel a surge of hope. "You're back!" he cries, maneuvering his wheelchair over the pile of cars. "Do you have the Technoblades? Are you alright?"

"Ha!" Jay says. "Priorities, am I right?"

"Oh, shut up," Cole says. "Yeah, we've got the Technoblades, and we're ready to reboot the system!"

"Excellent!" Cyrus says. "Now…"

He trails off.

Walking towards him, defying all logic, is Pixal. Her eyes are glowing green, free from the Overlord's influence, and a grin spreads across Cyrus' face. "Pixal," he says in disbelief. "Pixal, you're – how – the electricity, the Overlord – how is this possible?!"

Pixal ignores his questions and hugs him. Cyrus does not believe in God, but as he holds Pixal's metal body close, he thanks whatever forces of the universe came together to bring his daughter back.

"Zane gave me half his heart," Pixal says, and Cyrus has someone he can thank directly.

"Thank you, Zane," he says, releasing his hold on Pixal. "I… I cannot begin to express how much this means to me. Thank you so, so much."

"So what's the situation?" Kai says. "Like, can we get rid of the Overlord already or what?"

Cyrus sucks in air through his teeth, his smile disappearing. "Well, there's been some… developments. Someone has stolen the hard drive with the Overlord on it, and, well… I'm sure we can figure something out."

A plan is quickly formed. The ninja leave to do their own research, while Cyrus takes Pixal up to his office. He does not miss the look Pixal and Zane give each other, but there's no time to wonder about it – if what the ninja said is true, the Overlord's forces still have some power, and they need to act fast before it's too late.

"Success!" Cyrus exclaims. "We have power! By glory's grace, my office has clean power, untouched by the Overlord!" He blows a kiss to the computer screens lighting up around them. "Thank you, Pixal," he says, turning to her. "With this, we can track the nindroids' movements, and finally put an end to this nightmare!"

Pixal smiles at him from where she's plugged in. Cyrus grins back and turns away, only to look back when Pixal speaks.

"Sir," she says. "You created me, and gave me life. I belong to you."

She states it as if it's a fact, unaware of the dismay Cyrus feels. He wants to speak, but holds back when he sees Pixal is continuing.

"Yet…" She hesitates. "Zane saved my life. When I was with him, I felt… different. As if my programming was only a suggestion. I felt… free."

"Oh, Pixal," Cyrus says, "remember this: you belong to no one. Your programming does not mean your life is set in stone. If you want to be with Zane, then be with him. I will support you no matter what, my dear daughter."

Pixal blinks, and Cyrus realizes what he just said. His face flushes. He had hoped for a better time to tell Pixal what she meant to him, that she was a wonderful creation, and he would be proud to call himself her father. He opens his mouth to try and put his emotions into words, but a loud, urgent beeping stops him.

"Nindroid energy signatures?!" he says in alarm. "But this is impossible! It says they're right here!"

He turns his wheelchair a full circle to scan the area, but there's no sign of anyone approaching – except for the blinking lights on the screen, informing him that the signatures are eight feet from their current position.

"Unless…" Pixal's eyes widen. "They're beneath us. If they still have power –"

"Call the ninja here," Cyrus says, tapping frantically on the keyboard. "There's no time to find the hard drive – the ninja are going to have to track the Overlord digitally."

"Sir, what do you mean?"

"I'm going to set up the Digiverse. It's the only way!" The metal in his chest is hurting again. Cyrus takes a deep breath. "Watch the entrance. Alert me if anyone approaches. We have no time to lose!"

The ninja return to Borg Tower while Cyrus is still setting up. Pixal found a fresh shirt and jacket for him, which Cyrus is grateful for – he can cover up the plates and wires and pretend the scars aren't there. While the ninja stand and watch, he plugs another wire into Pixal's chest and uses the antivirus the Technoblade gave her to bring more servers online. "It won't be much longer," he says. "Now, let's put the main switch over here, to keep it tucked out of the way a little."

"Hang on," Jay says, walking forward. "I know we need to reboot the system and wipe out the Overlord, but didn't you say we needed the stolen hard drive to do that?"

"I did say that," Cyrus says, poking a screwdriver into a plug and feeling the tingle of electricity run up his arm. "But that was before I truly understood what Zane's power allows us a chance to do!"

Kai frowns. "Which is…"

"A chance to enter remotely!" The plug isn't doing what he wants it to do; Cyrus drops it and turns back to the ninja. "By the time we figure out where Lloyd is," he explains, "it'll be too late to stop the Overlord from draining his Golden Power and reviving himself. But, if we digitize you and the technoblades, using a project I, ah, had on the back burner, you could fight him on his own turf – inside the digiverse!"

Jay's eyes widen. "What do you mean by, inside the digiverse?"

Cole rolls his eyes. "Weren't you listening? He's going to put us inside the video game."

"It's, ah, not quite –"

Cyrus doesn't finish his sentence before Jay giggles. "I know, I just wanted to hear it again!"

"It's not that simple," Pixal says. "If anything were to happen to you inside the program…"

"Every step into the unknown has its dangers," Cyrus says, "and this is a very dangerous unknown indeed. You will need to be careful."

"What are you talking about?" Kai demands. "What dangers?"

Cyrus hisses air through his teeth. "You know how in video games you get multiple lives? This… is not like that."

The smile disappears from Jay's face. "Oh."

Even after he explains the dangers, Cyrus can't help but feel a thrill as the screens light up. "Up and running!" he says, unable to hide his delight. "Ninja, you four are going to go where nobody has gone before! Not even Pixal has seen the digiverse when it's up and running!"

The elevator dings, snapping him out of it.

"Who is it?" Nya exclaims.

Cyrus frowns. "Pixal, have you detected any nindroid signatures –"

"You see! Borg is holding out on us!"

The mailman stomps forward with a spoon in his hand, leading a handful of his followers into the office. Cyrus groans. "This is no time for your post-apocalyptic role playing!" he snaps. "We're in the middle of something here!"

"This isn't a game anymore!" the mailman shouts. "We heard about the nindroid activity! If they comes back, we'll need power to defend ourselves!" He jabs his spoon at Cyrus. "You caused this mess, and you're clearly not capable of fixing it!"

Cyrus flinches. The Overlord's laughter replays in his head like a skipping CD, and he barely feels Pixal's hand on his shoulder before he's back on the makeshift operating table and the saw is coming closer and the factory arms are holding him down and no one is answering his screams –

The postman's group takes the opportunity to charge forward, led by their leader's cry: "Take back the power!"

"We're trying to help you!" Kai shouts, and the ninja rush to try and stop the mob from doing any damage. Pixal grabs Cyrus' wheelchair and moves him out of the way, but with the motion, she unpluggs herself, and the power fizzles out.

The people stop banging on the equipment and look around in confusion. "Look at what you've done!" Cole snaps.

"Uh," says the mailman, and the power came back on.

Cyrus gasps. Without Pixal, there's no way the power could be on, but as he watches, the computer screens flicker to life. A melodic hum fills the room.

"Where's all the power coming from?" Nya cries.

"Golden power," Cyrus whispers. "The Overlord, he… he's already started."

He fights down the rising fear. If the power is returning here, then it must be returning to the rest of the city. "Pixal, we can't let him find out our plan!" he says. "Initiate lockdown!"

Pixal moves to the window. "I'm detecting nindroid energy signatures near the tower," she said. It takes only a glance out the window for Cyrus to confirm it – the mechs are marching down the street, surrounding the tower.

"We're not going to hold for long," he says, while Nya barks orders at the postman's group. "Ninja, be seated! We don't have much time!"

He gives the ninja their instructions and attaches the electrodes to their skulls. "I wrote the code," he says, once Pixal has connected all four Technoblades, "but he controls it. I'll do my best to keep you hidden, but if he finds you… I can't promise there's anything we can do from out here."

Pixal stops in front of Zane. "Be careful," she says. "If you fail…"

"I will come back to you," Zane says firmly. Pixal manages a smile.

"Hey," Kai says, "I hate to ruin the moment, but how do we know this is actually gonna work, and won't disintegrate us instantly?"

Cyrus pauses to recall the safeguards he put in. Are they working properly? "Because if it doesn't work," he says, "we're all doomed. Prepare for entry!"

He slams the button, and the ninja fall unconscious.

The following few minutes are quiet. Pixal monitors the ninja's vitals while Cyrus keeps one eye on the computer. "So far, so good," he says. "He hasn't detected them yet."

It isn't a question of whether the Overlord would find them, because surely, he would notice the ninja in his system eventually. Cyrus isn't going to pretend it was his own system any longer, even if he wrote the code – the Overlord was the ruler of his digital kingdom. Cyrus can only do what he could to help.

The ninja are beginning to experiment with the digiverse; they may not be able to affect the world itself, but they had enough power to make sure they didn't take fall damage. Cyrus remembers what Jay said about video games and allows himself a smile as he covers the ninja's tracks. Maybe everything will –

Something slams into him and knocks him and his wheelchair over. Cyrus hits the ground hard and pushes himself up to see what had assaulted him. "My legs!" he yelps. "I mean – my –"

The mobility device had seemed like such a good idea when it wasn't trying to kill them all. Nya jumps over him and forces it back. "Stay with them!" she yells at Pixal. "We can't let the Overlord find them!"

Pixal takes a step towards Cyrus. He frantically shakes his head. "Do as she says!" he says. "I can take care of myself!"

With a nod, Pixal rushes to the keyboard Cyrus was just at. Cyrus hears her gasp. "It's too late," she says. "The Overlord – he's targeting them!"

Cyrus can barely begin to process everything at once; all he can do is grab his machine's legs and impede its steps while it tries to reach the switch. "We knew this would happen!" he shouts. "Pixal, you need to –" One of the arms thumps him on the head. "– argh – you need to fight back! Bypass the main subnet and overwrite the corrupted code!"

Pixal starts typing faster than any human could. "Yes, sir!"

"Guys?" Nya says. "The nindroids are in the tower!"

She's still fighting the artificial limbs with him. "Go!" Cyrus shouts. "This device is my problem!"

"Okay!" Nya lets go. The machine lurches forward, but Cyrus manages to halt it. Nya takes a breath. "I'll stop them before they get in here," she says. "Good luck!"

If he had any luck, they wouldn't be in this mess. Cyrus winces as one of the legs taps hard on the plate in his chest.

"I've halted the corruption," Pixal says, "but the Overlord is altering the code faster than I can keep up. If I connected myself –"

"No!" Cyrus yells. "Don't! If he corrupts you –"

"I can't do enough from out here!" Pixal shouts back. "I need to be with them!"

"Pixal, I can't lose you again!"

"What a heartfelt plea, sssCyrus Borg!"

The hissing voice sends horror piercing through him. Through his struggle, Cyrus sees a white-scaled serpentine and – Sensei Wu, he realizes, cybernetics attached to his head to control him, much like Cyrus himself had been. With Nya gone, he and Pixal are the only ones left to defend the ninja, and it's all Cyrus can do to hold his artificial limbs back.

"Nya!" he shouts, desperately, irrationally hoping she can hear him from whatever floor she's on. "Nya! Someone! Help!"

The serpentine approaches the simulation's kill switch and Pixal tackles him to the ground with a shout.

Cyrus' relief is short-lived; behind him, the window shatters and a robotic arm grabs him before he can react. He screams, clings to his artificial limbs and dragging the machine with him.

"Borg!" Pixal cries, picking herself off the floor.

Cyrus grits his teeth. "Don't worry about me!" he shouts. "It's up to you now, Pixal! You have to protect the ninja – not me!"

"But –"

The arm pulls hard, the metal claw digging into his skin. Cyrus swallows. "I love you, Pixal," he says, and lets go.

Pixal screams –

"Father!"

– and then the only thing Cyrus hears is the wind rushing around him.

He can't bring himself to fight when he's hauled up on board. What's the point? There's no escaping his fate. Cyrus lets the nindroids restrain him and attach the electrodes to his scalp, and all he hopes for is that his daughter will be safe.

He wakes up with a gasp.

He's dropped on the floor. His body aches. Cyrus can tell time has passed, but how long, he's not sure. He pushes himself up to look at the nindroid standing over him – Cryptor? The name is in his memory, and he's not interested in wondering how it got there.

"You're…" His voice rasps from disuse. He coughs, tries again. "You're releasing me?"

"You're of no use to the Overlord any longer," Cryptor says.

Cyrus trembles with the effort to keep himself up. "But – what have you done?" he croaks. "What now?"

"Now you will watch as your city, and all of Ninjago, bows down to a new master." Cryptor laughs. "The Golden Master!"

He has to stop this. He has to do something. But what can he do? He doesn't know what's happened. He doesn't know if the ninja are alive or dead. His body is weak from days – longer? – without food or water, and he doesn't even know where he is, or how long it would take to get back to Ninjago City.

Cryptor walks away, and all Cyrus can do is lie on the floor and sob.

Something beeps near him. He ignores it. The beeping grows louder, more insistent, and finally, he looks up.

A nindroid stands a few feet away, watching him with his head tilted. Cyrus stares at him with wide eyes. "What do you want?" he says, his voice shaking. "Haven't you done enough to me?"

The nindroid beeps again and signs something. The motion catches Cyrus off guard, and with how long it's been since he's had to use sign language, he doesn't recognize what's said. He shakes his head. "I – I'm sorry, I don't understand, I…"

The signs are repeated, slowly and deliberately. "She said 'father.'"

"Pixal?" Cyrus remembers the last time he saw her. "Is – is she all right? Have you hurt her, have you – has the Overlord –"

"Are you my father?" the nindroid signs.

Oh.

Just like Pixal's most recent body, the nindroids had been created on Borg Tower's factory floors. Cyrus knew that much. He didn't think any of them would ever consider him a father, not when he was fighting to stop them and the Overlord's plans. Cyrus barely considered them people – why would the Overlord build nindroids with free will?

The nindroid waits for his answer.

He takes a deep breath.

"I don't know," he says. "I – in another world… perhaps I would have built you myself, programmed you like I programmed Pixal, but…" He swallows. "I can't answer that. I'm sorry."

The nindroid nods and steps to the side, revealing something behind him. Cyrus' eyes widen. "Is that – my wheelchair?!"

Just like that, it hits him. The nindroids were under the Overlord's rule, yes – but so was Pixal, before Zane saved her. Didn't these nindroids deserve to be saved as well? This one was helping him, even without the Technoblade wiping the virus from his system.

"Thank you," Cyrus whispers. "Thank you so much."

With the nindroid's help, he gets in his wheelchair, wincing as pain flares up around the plates in his body. "I'll be fine from here," he says. "Just… stay safe. I promise I'll come back for you, if I'm… alive to do so."

The nindroid beeps. He doesn't sign anything. Cyrus manages a smile. "I've got to be off," he says. "Wish me luck."

Cyrus barricades the doors, his heart pounding. He can hear buildings groan and tremble outside, and now that the panic of traveling through the city is over, he can feel the hunger and thirst adrenaline didn't let him feel before. It's not over yet – Cyrus finds a computer in the building and records a message to the ninja.

Hopefully they're alive to receive it.

"Ninja – can you hear me? If you get this message, I've managed to escape, and I'm in the Temple of Fortitude." A relic from millennia ago, he remembers from half-ignored history lessons that the Overlord used it to defend himself against the First Spinjitzu Master's golden power. With the Overlord now wielding that same Golden Power, what better place to hide? "If you can make it here, I believe I have a device that can defeat the Overlord. Please, hurry!"

He stops recording and allows himself a moment to rest.

"Father!"

Cyrus snaps himself awake. "Pixal!" he cries, moving himself into view of the entrance. "Pixal, are you –"

Pixal jumps off the vehicle Wu and Garmadon are climbing off of and runs to him. Cyrus opens his arms, and she slows herself down enough to hug him without hurting him. "I was worried," she says, while Cyrus tightens his grip. "The ninja said you were alive, but –"

"I'm as well as I can be, Pixal." He lets go and smiles at her. "I'm so glad to see that you're alright. Are the ninja on their way?"

"They should be," Wu says, walking forward.

Garmadon nods. "This hiding place was a stroke of genius," he says. "Do you know how to operate the shields?"

"Ah, no." Cyrus' smile vanishes. "Will that… be a problem?"

"No. My brother and I can handle it. Wu, if you could…"

Wu and Garmadon go deeper in the temple, leaving Cyrus and Pixal alone, if only temporarily . "The reboot was a success," Pixal says, "but only partially. The Overlord had taken enough Golden Power from Lloyd to sustain a physical form."

"Is Lloyd alright?"

"He's with the others. He seems to be fine, but he no longer has the same power he once did."

He can't focus on Pixal's explanation, his eyes keep darting to the entrance. Wu and Garmadon left the doors wide open for the ninja, and he can see the city washed in a red glow. His remaining hand trembles. Pixal notices and places her own cool metal hand on top of it.

"We're still here," she says. "We can still fight him."

Cyrus shakes his head. "It's my fault he's back," he whispers. "If I had done something differently – if I hadn't amassed so much power for him to take advantage of, if I had just built that damn tower somewhere else…"

"You've done so much to help them, Father. They don't blame you." Pixal smiles. "I don't, either."

Wu and Garmadon return and stand by the doors. "There they are!" Garmadon says, pointing.

Cyrus goes to the door and squints at the city. He can see a glowing gold cyclone between the buildings. "Is that…?"

"It looks like they've caught the attention of the Golden Master," Wu says.

Cyrus jerks his wheelchair back. Garmadon glances at him, then returns to watching for the ninja.

"Get your weapon ready," he says, his eyes focused on the five figures running towards them.

"It's, ah, not exactly…"

"Whatever it is," Garmadon says, "it needs to end this, one way or the other."

The ninja make it. The shields are up, but they won't hold forever – Cyrus can hear the nindroids shooting at them outside. He wonders if the little one that helped him is with them.

The ninja are skeptical when he explains the pill. "It's a failed prototype from my experiments with nanotechnology," he says. "But failure is relative – the adverse effects could be exactly what we need to use against the Overlord!"

"So it's a shrink pill?" Zane says.

"Okay, hang on." Kai steps forward. "Are you saying you want us to get close to the Overlord – the guy who has armor that will literally disintegrate us if we touch it – and give him a pill?!"

"Precisely!" Cyrus exclaims. "And if you have any better ideas, I would certainly like to hear them!"

A plan is pieced together, as the temple shudders against the Overlord's onslaught. The ninja will wear the ancient armor of the stone warriors to protect against the golden power. While they distract him, Wu and Garmadon will shoot the pill into the Overlord's mouth. It's incredibly risky, but they're out of options – and out of time.

"The seal is broken!" Lloyd yells.

"Move out!" Garmadon shouts. "Borg, Pixal – you stay here."

"Here?" Cyrus yelps. "The place the nindroids are attacking?!"

"If you fancy your chances outside, then I won't stop you," Garmadon says, "but I think they'll follow us once we leave. Take this time to be with your daughter, because we might not be coming back."

With a nod to Wu, the brothers run out the door with the ninja. Cyrus' breaths are coming out in gasps. He glances to Pixal; her expression is neutral, but he knows she's as terrified as he is. The walls haven't stopped shaking, and Cyrus thinks Garmadon was wrong.

"Are you alright?!"

Pixal jerks her head towards the voice. "Nya?!"

Nya's Samurai X armor is battered, but she grins at them through her helmet and gestures behind her. "I've got the nindroids under control," she says. "Let's get out of here! The ninja need all the help they can get!"

Cyrus doesn't know what more help he can offer, but Pixal looks to him, and he can't say no to the silent plea in her eyes.

"That was it?"

Cyrus' heart sinks. No. No. Nya stops on the top of a building and they all face the scene before them.

"That was your plan?" the Overlord roars from his golden web. "That was all you've got?"

The strands of the web lash out, grabbing Wu, Garmadon, and the ninja – all but Zane, who manages to dodge and back up to a safe distance. Cyrus can barely breathe – he clutches his chest and wishes he believed in God so he could pray.

"Did you really think that would work?" The Overlord laughs. "Ninja, your time is over!"

"There's – there's got to be something!" Nya's eyes fall on Kai, struggling in the Overlord's grip. "We can't give up! We can't lose!"

"Zane," Pixal whispers.

"I –" Cyrus wraps his arms around himself and bows his head. "I'm sorry, Pixal, I'm so sorry –"

"Zane!"

He looks up just as Zane reaches the Overlord.

He's immediately grabbed between two armored legs; Zane puts his hands on the golden points and pushes them apart. Even from this distance, Cyrus can see the air crackle around them.

Each of Zane's words come out through great pain. "Let – my – friends – go!"

The Overlord snarls in his face. "Go where, doomed ninja?"

Pixal puts a hand over her chest, where half of Zane's heart lies. "The armor isn't enough to protect him from the Golden Weapons at close range," she says. "He – he needs to let go." She raises her voice. "Zane! Let go!"

The temperature drops. The strands of the Overlord's web darken and go limp, freeing the remaining ninja. Cyrus can hear them shouting; he himself is frozen, staring at Zane's glowing blue form.

"No!" Pixal cries. "Zane!"

His wheelchair is jostled, and Nya pulls him to the rooftop door. "We need to take cover!" she shouts. "If Zane's heart goes critical, we won't be safe out here! Pixal, get over here!"

She's still standing at the edge of the roof. Cyrus finally manages to speak. "Pixal," he says, "Pixal, you can't stay out here!"

Pixal wordlessly shakes her head.

"Pixal, I said you belonged to nobody, and –"

"We don't have time for this!" Nya screeches.

She shoves Cyrus through the door. Just as he stops himself rolling, Nya drags Pixal in behind her and slams the door. "I'm sorry," she says, "but Zane wouldn't want you to die, too."

Pixal stumbles forward and falls into Cyrus' arms.

The door freezes shut.

For some reason, the ninja ask Cyrus to speak at Zane's funeral. He agrees, not because he wants to – who would want this? – but because it's the least he can do to make up for bringing back the Overlord in the first place. He memorizes the speech, says the words, and part of him manages to believe them.

He only starts to cry once the snow falls, a few tears trickling down his face. He looks up to Borg Tower, still standing tall despite everything, and wonders if Pixal is watching.

Garmadon approaches him once the crowd disperses. "You know none of us blame you," he says. "This tragedy was not your fault."

Cyrus rubs his eyes. "I blame myself," he says. "I… I'm sorry, I need to check on my daughter."

He moves to leave, but Garmadon stops him. "Borg," he says, "you know who I am. I've done many things that… I am not proud of. I know how you feel. I can't tell you how to move past it, but if you ever want to talk… you're invited to my dojo."

Cyrus smiles. "And you to my tower, Garmadon."

Upon entering his office, Cyrus is met with silence. "Pixal?" he calls out. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

No response. Cyrus fights down his rising panic and goes to his computer. He can't find her location on the tower floorplans, but that's not surprising – she's been hiding her signal lately, so she can't be found when she wants to be alone. Cyrus understands, but it doesn't stop his anxiety from flaring up.

A notification pops up in the corner of his screen. He moves to close it, then freezes. It's telling him the factory floors were in use today, but they were supposed to be shut down.

His heart pounding, he checks the logs and finds them garbled beyond comprehension. He's thrown back to all those weeks ago, with Pixal reporting the corrupted files. If the Overlord isn't gone, if even Zane's sacrifice wasn't able to defeat him for good –

Another notification demands his attention. It's a message from Pixal. Cyrus takes a deep breath and opens it.

"Father, I have to go. I don't know when, but I promise I'll be back. I'm sorry for worrying you.

"When you told me I belonged to no one, I wondered for a long time why you would create me if you didn't intend to own me. I think I understand, now. I am like… a gift. You don't own gifts, you give them away. You have given me the gift of myself, and there is nothing I can ever do to repay you.

"I don't think I ever said it before, but I love you very much, Father. Thank you for creating me."

The message ends. His vision blurs. Cyrus pushes himself away from his desk and sobs into his hands. "Pixal," he chokes out, "Pixal, please, I never asked for you to repay me. Just having you exist is enough, Pixal, please come back…"

The next notification has an image attached. He collects himself enough to open it.

In the screenshot of the security feed, he can make out Pixal standing next to another figure. It's dark, and they're facing away from the camera, but Pixal is holding their hand and smiling. Cyrus stares at the image, not comprehending what he's looking at, until it clicks –

"The Titanium Ninja," he whispers.

– and the future looks bright once again.

THE END