NCHS

By Secret Dancer

Chapter 22: Lies

When Zane got back to his house it was late at night. His father was already asleep. He knew the door squeaked whenever it opened and that would alert his father. Instead he climbed up the tree outside of his window and slid in after prying it open. That was a small price to pay after getting the first weapon and fighting skeletons.

When Zane changed into his white pajamas it was already midnight. They'd spent the last couple of hours trying to dig Rocky out of the rubble. Eventually they had to give up much to the regret of Cole. Zane's thoughts raced around his head and he decided a little meditation would help him fall asleep.

Zane was putting up posters of some blade when he noticed the Falcon. He immediately dropped everything and started following it. Kai, Jay, and Cole noticed it as well and started chasing it along with him. Zane wasn't paying attention though as each of his brothers slowly started to stop following one by one until it was only him left.

When they got to a birch wood forest the falcon suddenly jerked and nosedived to the ground. When Zane approached it he saw sparks shoot out.

"You're a-a robot?" He questioned before picking the robotic bird up.

Zane heard a thumping nose of metal on snow and placed the falcon down before instantly turning in defense. A large bronze robot emerged and two blue beams scanned the area until they locked on him. The robot began firing and Zane tapped into his elemental weapons to create a snow mobile. He raced around and then flew into the air and tossed his shurikens.

The golden weapons had clogged the weapon mechanism and allowed Zane to fly behind the machine. He caught a view of a control panel on the back of the bronze fighter. The shurikens felt their master calling them back and Zane caught them in his hands. He then used their power to capture the Juggernaut in a large pile of snow. With the robot trapped Zane dodged some shots as he ran and flipped over the enemy and holding onto its shoulder with one hand and using the other holding a shuriken to shatter the control systems.

The Juggernaut-as Zane dubbed him- began to malfunction. He did a dance and shot some lasers in the air while an obnoxious horn played. His hand pointed in the air before he did a goodbye move. The Juggernaut finished with a salute before collapsing to the ground. Once it did Zane noticed a symbol near the panel before he got off its back and went back to the Falcon. It was there he noticed the same symbol.

Zane looked around the area to see what the Falcon had wanted to show him while he carried the feathered creature. He came across a large birch with the same symbol on it. After closer examination he found that it was a door. Zane pried it open and dust flew out and evaporated in the cool night air. Curiosity claimed him and he descended down the winding staircase.

When he got to the bottom he set the Falcon down on a table with blueprints. Those prints matched the Falcon and Zane was able to read them. He searched for the panel before he tapped on the birds chest. Immediately it sprung to life and flapped its wings to help stand up. The Falcon flew a circle in the air before landing on Zane's arm. Then it flew onto a beam.

Zane looked at the blueprints closer. He caught the corner of one sticking out from a desk. When he pulled it out he examined it to find a surprise.

"No! No! NO!"

Zane too was a robot. The other caught up to him. He told them he wanted some time to think. After a while he opened his chest panel and flipped a switch. According to his blueprints it was the memory switch.

Zane gasped as he woke from his dream. He was still in his meditation position and the clock read four a.m. He was breathing deeply now and his hands were shaking. Zane was trying to make sense of this dream. Sure he'd had dreams that had come true before but this one was…too real.

Remember what one of your teachers had said last year? There are alternate universes and within those universes are each and everyone one of us living a different life than the one we are now. Any dream you have that seems too real and is not may be a vision through your other life's eyes.

"Maybe I did see through another me's eyes? No, that's illogical. The possibilities of that aren't even one percent. But still," Zane mumbled to himself before he unbuttoned his pajama top.

Nervously Zane checked for an outline of a chest panel. He couldn't find one. Then he searched for a way to open it like he did in his dream. The dream-self had a bump like a gap in a rib cage that was the way to open the panel. Zane felt one. He pulled and the panel opened.

"No, no, no!" Zane gasped. He started to panic and couldn't locate his inner calm.

"My whole life's been a lie." He whispered before he began to cry. He closed the panel.

"All of it, meant nothing."

No, this doesn't change a thing. Maybe father was waiting until I was ready to hear that I wasn't human. Yeah, that might be the reason. That's eighty-percent logical. However, I wouldn't be a robot. The proper term would be android since I appear human and have artificial intelligence. This would explain so much and yet could it amount to so little? Maybe with time this will all make sense.

Zane went back to sleep through meditation again. He found it an easier and calmer way to fall asleep. That's when the second dream struck.

Memories flashed before his eyes in a backwards motion. Then they stopped. The story of his life replayed.

He saw glasses being placed on a friendly face. The man had dark brown hair and eyes that were kind.

Feet. They had white shoes. Zane was learning to walk.

Reflection. Zane was being helped with walking for the first time. He saw his reflection and was amazed. He could see himself! He could see what others could see.

Zane was learning now. He kicked a ball at the wall. Fun! Lots of fun! He thought before it attacked him. The ball hit him in the tummy and it hurt! He fell onto the ground.

Father. He helped Zane up. The hurt was gone. Love took its place.

Spoon. Zane held up a large spoon and marveled how strange it was. He then questioned it. He didn't know how to use it! Father nodded and Zane began to stir stuff in a bowl. That's what spoon does! Zane thought. There was a circle thing that lifted the stuff up and left the rest in there! Zane tasted the stuff and the circle thing lost the stuff. It disappeared! But the stuff was yummy! His father smiled.

Toy! Zane cradled his first toy in his arms. His father was older now and his brown hair was graying. His father made the toy and Zane loved it!

Falcon. Father finished screwing a bolt in on the Falcon before his companion took off flying. His father was aging more but Zane noticed that he was not.

Playing. A small face car and the falcon on his arm. Father was setting something weird up. He heard his name and turned with a smile towards his father. Stood together. A flash. The photograph!

Words. Father was telling him words. "You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves." While Father spoke, Zane released a butterfly and they watched it fly.

Pain. Zane felt pain. Sadness. More words. "You were always the son I never had. It's time to begin your next stage in life. And the only reason I'm about to do this is because I love you." Zane smiled weakly at his dying father. Father looked old and Zane still hadn't changed. He smiled for his fading father who opened his chest panel. Father flipped a switch.

Dark. Scared. Lonely. Pain. Confusion.

In his sleep a tear slipped from Zane's eye.

When Zane got up in the morning he wanted to ask his father something. He learned he was a robot last night. He wondered if the dreams could be true.

"Father," Zane began at the table.

"Yes, son?"

"Why am I an android?"

A/N: Hello readers! Thank you for reading my Ninjago High School AU. I have part II I am currently working on but I do not know when it will be up. Just be patient and there's a poll on my profile for choosing your favorite character from this book. I hope you enjoyed!