I warned y'all another Skybound fic was coming. XD

This story was inspired by a great author by the name of WhalNar on Ao3. They wrote something similar and you should definately check them out.

This fanfic will probably be three chapters unless I decide to put my post Skybound story I'm working on right now with it.

This is basically me filling in plot holes and in between scenes in episodes 59-64 of Skybound. There will be two episodes per chapter so, Chapter 1-On A Wish and A Prayer & My Dinner with Nadakhan, Chapter 2-Wishmasters & The Last Resort, and Chapter 3-Operation:Land Ho & The Way Back

Fair Warning: This story is not finished and I probably won't update for a while. This chapter took me FOREVER to write and it will probably take longer to write the next four, especially since I really want to focus on Jay and Nya's relationship in the lighthouse episode and flush it out well.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy this fic, if you do please leave a review, it gives me motivation to keep writing.

I don't own Ninjago

Jay's had his fair share of bad days. But this one was definitely near number one.

Over a series of bad choices made by him and the events that consequently followed, Jay, Lloyd, Nya, and Cole found themselves running from the Tiger Widow spider.

Jay had successfully managed to get the venom, but the giant spider had followed him when he hightailed it out of there, and they just couldn't shake it.

They'd made it back to the old rickety bridge they'd crossed to get here and just before they could get across, it snapped.

Lloyd barely had time to grab the pole holding one of the bridge ties before it collapsed. They had formed a chain with Lloyd holding onto the end of the bridge, Nya holding onto him, Cole holding onto Nya, and Jay holding onto the canteen, with the venom in it, which Cole was holding, with the giant spider at his feet.

"Ugh! Haven't I suffered enough!?"

"Getting closer." Nya answered, the worry evident in her voice.

"Oh you don't say!"

Nadakhan suddenly appeared out of nowhere next to Jay, making them all jump a little, sipping something from a teacup.

"You seem to be in a precarious position. Time is running out. But you have one wish left. You can wish it all aw—" Jay cut him off.

"Blah blah blah. You think I'm thick enough to fall for that trick? No way! I'd rather be eaten by a spider than listen to your beguiling voice."

There was no way Nadakhan was going to trick him again. Jay had gotten them into this mess, and somehow, he was going to get them out.

"Fine, then have it your way!" Nadakhan pulled out a knife and slashed the top off the canteen Jay was holding on to and the latter fell several yards down, screaming the whole way.

The others yelled his name.

Nadakhan appeared next to him just before he hit the ground and grabbed his arm. Jay could feel his shoulder popping out of place and couldn't contain the pathetic pain filled yelp.

"Now, say good bye to the only thing that can stop me."

"No! No no no!"

Nadakhan dumped the venom out as he smiled mockingly. There was no way they could stop him now, the venom was way too hard to get to try again. Jay was sure the only way he'd gotten it the first time was a mixture of adrenaline, extreme luck, and good karma.

"And say good bye to your friends!"

The Tiger Widow was right above them now, but before it could get any closer, Nadakhan poofed away, with Jay in tow.

They reappeared next to the same ship the Sky Pirates came.

Nadakhan's first mate, Flintlocke, tied Jay's hands behind his back, way too tight, and taped his mouth shut. Jay tried to resist but was held in place.

"Head back to Misfortune's Keep, board the Sky Shark, but stop in front of the other ninja." Nadakhan ordered. He turned to Jay and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at him.

"I want them to see you like this, helpless."

Jay just glared.

Flintlocke pushed him to walk into the ship and got into the pilot's chair. Nadakhan got in as well, followed by the rest of the crew, and held Jay still by the arms.

The ship took off and Flintlocke flew the short distance to where the others were and lowered the ship. Cole, Nya, and Lloyd, were just pulling themselves up from the bridge as the hatch opened.

"I'll be back for the rest of you," Nadakhan shouted to the others as Jay futilely struggled, "and since you can't get off the island, I'll know exactly where to find you." Nadakhan laughed evilly and the hatch closed.

Jay watched as the island got farther and farther away. He would just have to figure a way out of this himself or hope the guys would come and rescue him. But he had serious doubts that they would.

Heck, they probably thought he deserved this. They were furious with him and rightfully so.

He lied, kept secrets, stupidly made two wishes, and those were only a few on the list of mistakes he'd made. And all for what. Some stupid reflection of him and Nya in the future, which probably won't ever happen, especially now.

"You got quiet all of a sudden, little canary." Nadakhan teased.

What. The. Heck. Did he just say?

There was no way he was going to be called that.

It was demeaning and frankly quite embarrassing.

Jay allowed many nicknames, and many means many, but that one and especially from Nadakhan he would never allow.

It was wrong, not to mention creepy.

Jay turned around as much as his binds would allow and yelled at Nadakhan, trying to tell him off for the name he had just been addressed as. But the tape on his mouth wouldn't allow that.

"You don't like that, do you?" He chuckled. "Adorable."

Jay turned away.

"Oh come on, little canary. Give up already? I thought Ninja Never Quit." He said mockingly and the crew members aboard laughed.

Jay just had to ignore him.

Yeah, that's it.

Just ignore it.

If he could ignore bullies then he could ignore Nadakhan.

They weren't all that different, right?

Well, except for the fact that Nadakhan was a dangerous criminal who could trick you into wishing it all away and had the ability to trap your soul in an ancient sword, and the bullies Jay had dealt with in the past we're capable of name-calling and punching at most.

So maybe a bit of a difference.

But nevertheless, he could do this. He just had to be strong. Despite the fact he felt anything but right now.

When the ship arrived at the Misfortune's Keep a good 10 minutes later, the crew went about their normal routine and Nadakhan pushed Jay to walk forward. He led him to the main deck and ripped the tape off his mouth.

"Ugh! Was that necessary!? Man, that hurt."

Nadakhan ignored Jay's remark and grabbed his dislocated shoulder in a crushing grip. Jay hissed in pain as the Djinn pulled him a little too close for comfort.

"I will make you break, ninja. Eventually you'll beg for it all to go away, and I'll make sure it happens soon enough. I want this floor scrubbed clean. Put him to work, Flintlocke!"

He roughly let go of Jay's shoulder, making him fall backwards.

Jay realized a little too late that he had no hands to brace himself and fell onto his shoulder. It took everything he had not to scream and he bit his lip so hard he could taste blood.

Nadakhan laughed and floated away.

"Aye aye Cap'n."

Jay sat up as best he could.

Did Nadakhan seriously mean he was gonna have to clean until he made his wish? As much as Jay hated cleaning, it was gonna take a lot more than that to break him.

He suddenly gained a little more confidence.

He could definitely do this.

Flintlocke walked over bringing Jay back to the present, with a ball and chain made of what he immediately recognized as Vengestone.

Before he could stand up, the heavy weight was latched onto his ankle and the elemental master immediately felt the horrible sensation of his element being trapped inside him.

That was a feeling he's always hated and will never get used to.

Okay, this might be slightly more difficult than he originally thought, but not having his power wasn't anything new.

The whole team had been able to hold their own without powers before on multiple occasions. Chen's Island, and Morro's possession were just a few instances.

Flintlocke cut the rope around Jay's wrists and he gingerly stood up. As he rubbed his sore wrists he rolled up the sleeve of his gi to see his shoulder was already turning purple. Not to mention it was bent at an odd angle too. Flintlocke must have noticed.

"Let me see your shoulder. You can't just leave it like that." Flintlocke said, walking toward him again.

"Why are you helping me?" Jay wondered, confused.

"I'm not helping you. You can't mop floors when your shoulder is bent like that. Brace yourself, 'cause this is gonna hurt."

Jay did what he said and shut his eyes tightly. He couldn't help the gasp of pain when it popped back into place.

"There. Now get to work!" Flintlocke roughly handed Jay a mop and a bucket of water.

Jay rubbed his shoulder trying to ease the pain as he got to cleaning.

—

Nightfall had come soon after and Jay was forced to work the entire night. He wasn't even allowed to sleep. Or eat! The rest of the evening hadn't gone so smoothly either.

He'd already tripped over the chain attached to his ankle several times now, and he'd have to be blind to miss the crew's not-so-discreet taunts and jabs at an "all powerful protector of Ninjago" mopping floors as a prisoner on an old pirate ship. The crew was definitely having their fun "accidentally" shoving and bumping into him since he was put to work.

He was just so exhausted from all that had happened in the past 24 hours. He just had to ignore the feeling of sleepiness creeping over and focus on mopping the dirty floor. The next day came a lot slower than he thought it would and by the time the sun rose, Jay was sure he'd fall over from lack of sleep.

Not long after sun-rise, Nadakhan floated over to him and spilled the bucket of water he was mopping with.

"Looks like you missed a spot." He mocked.

Jay sighed, already knowing what he was trying to do. "I'm not gonna say it."

"Say what? That you can wish it all away? Well you can! You've already made your first two wishes. You have one left." Jay was seriously getting tired of hearing this.

"My friends will come for me!" Jay said with more confidence than he felt. He really said it more to convince himself than Nadakhan.

"I hope so." Nadakhan put the sword at Jay's neck.

"The more of you my Djinn Blade collects, the stronger I become. Creating a world from scratch takes a lot of hard work. Djinnjago would get done a lot sooner if everyone pitches in. If you know what I mean."

He threw the sword at the ground, missing Jay's foot by less than an inch. Jay could hear the souls of the others in the blade from where he was standing and it sent shivers down his spine.

"Care to say hello to your friends?" He said mockingly.

"Wish it. Wish it all away and join them. Wish it, and you'll never have to pick up another scrub brush again."

"If I didn't have this Vengestone ball and chain, I'd zap you clean off this ship!" Jay turned away, hoping that was the end of their conversation.

Nadakhan had other plans as he moved in closer and whispered in Jay's ear. It made the latter shiver again.

"Hm I can see why she once liked you. You're stronger than you appear. But I know it's all an act. Deep down you're scared, you know your weak. You make jokes to mask that you're afraid. That's why you didn't do anything when she fell for your friend. Why you can't do anything when she falls for me. Believe me, aboard my ship you will break! I will make sure of it, and when that time comes, I will be there so you can wish it away."

Jay resisted the urge to yell at him to shut up and kept quiet while he talked. Nadakhan wanted a rise out of him and Jay couldn't give him that.

Jay wanted to ignore it so badly because it was all true.

A ninja is suppose to be brave, not scared. And he was a sorry excuse for a ninja. Anytime his anxiety would take over, a joke was always on the tip of his tongue to convince everyone else, and himself that he wasn't terrified.

When Nya started having doubts about their relationship and took interest in Cole after the perfect match machine, Jay had no one to blame but himself.

He just wasn't good enough for her. All he was and is, is just some pathetic junkyard kid He didn't have anything to offer.

He just didn't want to lose her.

Nya was the best thing that ever happened to him. She made him feel like he was worth something.

Like he could be himself.

Like he didn't have to wear a mask to make people happy.

Like he didn't have to be afraid of getting hurt.

Like he wasn't worthless.

Like he didn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't.

He'll never forget those words she said to him those years ago on their first date, "You are the best you." She helped him unlock his True Potential.

He wanted so badly to keep feeling like he was worth something, so he kept chasing after her, but that only made the situation worse. That was what inevitably caused him to lose her.

But he couldn't think about this now. He couldn't let Nadakhan know he was affected. He could wallow in pity later.

"Still not gonna say it!" Jay didn't think Nadakhan noticed any difference in his composure. He just had to keep this mask of bravery up until he could get out of here.

Nadakhan made a disproving face and turned to Flintlocke, "When he's done swabbing the deck make sure he swabs the entire hull."

"The bottom of the ship, Cap'n?" Flintlocke asked, surprised.

Nadakhan nodded. Flintlocke looked a little bewildered but nodded at the order.

Jay didn't even realize what his task was until they reached the edge of the ship.

Jay balked.

They were really expecting him to clean the bottom of the ship!

Flintlocke pushed Jay toward the edge of the ship. Jay gulped and slowly lowered himself down. His grip on the side was the only thing keeping him from falling and drowning in the ocean below, and the ball and chain was weighing him down.

"You aren't afraid are you, Funny-man?" Nadakhan asked smiling.

"I love it!" Jay retorted angrily and laughed as Nadakhan stormed away, clearly frustrated.

Jay chuckled in amusement. The fact that he could irritate Nadakhan with his stubbornness was pretty funny. He knew that annoying character trait would come in handy one day.

—

Jay was allowed to sleep that night and spent it in a cold, dark, cell. His hands were aching from hanging off the ship for so long and he was starting to get sore all over.

He couldn't stop thinking about how all this was completely his fault.

He was the stupid one who made two wishes and didn't tell the others, and it was his stupidity that caused them to lose Wu, Misako, Kai, and Zane.

And what did he achieve in the process?

Losing his friends' trust, and being held captive in a cell on a pirate ship.

Nice going, Jay.

He honestly had no idea if the guys would come for him.

He certainly didn't deserve it.

As long as they stopped Nadakhan.

That's what was important, not him.

It's not like he made a big contribution to the team anyway.

But the least he could do was not make another wish.

He could do that much.

And if the guys rescued him?

Great.

If they didn't?

He wouldn't be surprised.

Jay fell into a dreamless sleep that night.

—

Jay was given a rude awakening the next morning thanks to Flintlocke banging on the cell door.

"Wake up ninja. You have floors to clean."

He unlocked the cell and threw down a rope ladder for Jay to climb up since the cell was a freaking hole in the floor of the ship. Flintlocke roughly handed him a bucket and a sponge and led him to the part of the ship he was suppose to clean.

Jay had been cleaning for about twenty minutes or so before a Serpentine crew member named Clancee came over to clean as well.

He was talking about something but Jay was tuning him out. He was focused on Flintlocke talking with another crew member, Doubloon, about blueprints for a ship. From where he was, Jay could see a quill on the table they were standing at.

"If only I could get a message out to my friends." Jay thought to himself as he kept scrubbing.

Flintlocke and Doubloon walked away and Jay got an idea.

"Ow! Oh my back! Ah that's it, if only I could wish this pain away!" Jay yelled dramatically as he fell down on all fours.

"Er what did you say?" Clancee asked.

"I've finally reached my breaking point."

"W-wou-ould you j-just hold on. Cap'n! Cap'n, you new to come 'ere, we broke him, we finally broke 'im!" Clancee went off yelling for Nadakhan and Jay quickly ran to the table, carrying the ball and chain so he didn't have to drag it around. He grabbed the quill and started writing.

"Friends, if you find this, I am doing fine. Don't worry about me, worry about stopping Nadakhan.

Your Friend,

Jay."

Jay sincerely meant every word. He wasn't important. Stopping Nadakhan mattered more. He very obviously overused the word "friends" because maybe he'd already lost his friends. And he was just holding onto false hope.

"I told you not to take you eyes off him!" Nadakhan's voice boomed from across the ship.

Jay took that as his cue and put the message in the bottle and grabbed the ball and chain. He slid down the side of the deck and landed on the next floor when Monkey Wrench and Dogshank, two more crew members, started coming after him. Jay threw things at them like tools, boxes, and anything he could find. He came to the edge of the deck and jumped off on to another ship flying by just before the crew could reach him.

"Haha! Bye-bye!" Jay yelled confidently as the ship took off.

"What are you waiting for?! Get him!" Nadakhan yelled and pushed Clancee onto the ship Jay was on.

Clancee regained his composure and swung his mop at Jay but he ducked and flipped over him, which Jay would add, was pretty difficult with a ball and chain attached to his ankle, when suddenly the ship sped up and hit a piece of floating land. The impact knocked them both off and Jay fell onto a cord connecting an island. Clancee fell too and caught Jay's ball and chain before he fell to far down.

Doubloon jumped off from the chunk of land and onto the chord, making Clancee and Jay fall off and land on another piece below.

Jay yelled as he fell and grunted from the impact. He quickly got up but Doubloon was coming his way. Jay grabbed the ball and chain and slid across another cord to another piece of land as Doubloon chased him. They kept this shenanigan going until Jay ran out of land. He saw a black thing float next to the island he was on and thinking it was another chunk of land, jumped on it.

Jay laughed only to turn around and see Doubloon smirking. He raised an eyebrow as The Misfortune's Keep flew up in front. The whole crew was laughing.

"You seem to have landed on a sky mine!" Nadakhan announced, still chuckling. "One shot from Flintlocke, and kaboom!"

Jay looked at the bottled message in his hand and down at the ocean. He dropped the bottle into the ocean behind his back and dropped the ball and chain. To hide what he had done, he through his hands up in the air.

"Alright. I surrender!"

Doubloon threw a rope that latched onto the sky mine and pulled Jay closer.

When he got close enough to the ship, Flintlocke grabbed Jay and wrenched his hands behind his back, forcing him to look at the angry Djinn.

"I trust you'll make better decisions about escaping in the future. Get him back to work."

Flintlocke roughly pushed him to the ground and threw him a sponge. Jay grunted as the crew laughed and got back to work.

—

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Other than the constant jabs from the crew, shoving and tripping him when they were bored and got the chance.

Late that night, Jay was still scrubbing the deck when he was approached by Flintlocke.

"You hungry?" He asked.

"Does it matter?" Jay groaned wearily. He was worn out. From both the constant cleaning and his little escape attempt earlier.

"Cap'n would like to see you fer dinner." He answered, unlocking Jay's ball and chain.

Jay thought about using his powers but that thought was shut down as soon as Flintlocke pulled out two guns and pointed them at him.

"Ain't a request, it's an order."

Not having much of a choice, Jay begrudgingly went with him.

When they entered Nadakhan's quarters, Flintlocke roughly pushed Jay forward. The first thing he saw was a table with lit candles and fancy looking food. Nadakhan sat behind the table, giving Jay a smile that made his stomach churn.

"Please, please. Eat something. You must be famished. But I must warn you, don't try anything foolish."

Nadakhan motioned for Flintlocke to leave as Jay warily walked over to the table and sat down.

"I am to have manners at the dinner table."

"Don't think you can butter me up like a bread roll and expect me to make my last wish." Jay knew he was planning something.

"No no no no, I would never dream. Please eat, I simply want your company." He said with his mouth full.

Jay hadn't eaten since before he and the others had arrived at Tiger Widow Island, and the food looked so good. So he quickly started eating.

In hindsight, he knew he shouldn't have done it but he was so hungry, he didn't give it a second thought at the time.

"Though we are from different worlds, we have something in common, an affinity for a special someone, hmm?" Nadakhan said as Jay continued to stuff his face, not paying the Djinn much attention. He was far too focused on the food in front of him.

"Sorry pal, I don't know who this lost love of yours is, but she ain't Nya. She's too good for the both of us. And she makes up her own mind."

It was true. Jay knew he didn't deserve Nya, and Nadakhan definitely didn't either.

"Maybe, but I have made up my mind." Nadakhan said, getting up and moving over to the window. He picked up a pitcher and poured a questionably alcoholic drink in Jay's flask. Jay wasn't gonna take any chances and didn't touch the questionable beverage.

"All my life I've been blessed with the ability to grant wishes for others, but cursed to have none of my own. Though born unto a king, everything that is mine I had to work for." He floated back to the window.

"The food, this ship, this crew-"

"That accent." Jay jabbed at him just for the sake of it.

Nadakan grunted in annoyance and continued his monologue. "Truth be told, I don't care about any world, nor winning Nya's heart."

"Then why are you doing all of this?" Jay had been trying to get his lightning charged strong enough ever since the ball and chain was taken off and he needed to keep Nadakhan distracted.

"I don't need her heart, I only need her hand. In marriage. Because when a Djinn prince becomes king on Djinn land, he is bestowed the greatest gift of all!"

"Love?" Jay asked, joking, again, trying to cover up his fear.

Nadakhan laughed evilly. "No. Infinite wishes!"

"You never loved Dilara! You only loved what she could give you!"

"And after I take your friends, and take your home, Nya will be mine. I will be more powerful than anyone can ever imagine!"

Nadakhan had his back toward him. Now was his chance. Jay threw a lightning bolt at him, but he was too fast and poofed out of the way before it hit him. He reappeared behind Jay and grabbed his arm in a crushing grip.

"Too slow. Junkyard boy!" Jay groaned as Nadakhan wrangled him to a standing position and called for Flintlocke who came in seconds later.

"Take him back to the hole and make some, adjustments, to assure he can't try to escape again."

Flintlocke nodded as he pushed Jay to walk to the main deck.

As they approached his cell, Jay could make out Dogshank in the dark. She was holding a ball and chain like the one before, except this one was like 5x bigger than the other one! It was locked around Jay's ankle and he felt disconnection from his element again. She latched it on tighter until it was skin tight and literally cutting off circulation. It was already starting to hurt.

Flintlocke pulled out his pistols and motioned for Jay to walk again. He started forward but almost tripped when his right foot wouldn't move. He looked down and picked up his foot attached to the weight experimentally and frowned.

"How am I suppose to walk? I can barely move this thing!"

"That's the point." Flintlocke retorted angrily. "Two escape attempts already, we need to take precautions." He laughed and Jay groaned again. He managed to drag it with much difficulty.

They reached Jay's cell and he was pushed in followed by the familiar clinking of keys locking the top.

Jay fell asleep that night thinking about what Nadakhan said, junkyard boy. They hurt more than Jay should have let them. Those words brought back memories of bullies in elementary and middle school.

It's not like the words were a lie, they were basically his entire life.

Some pathetic, worthless kid who grew up in a junkyard. In the middle of the desert. It was just him and his parents. Well, adoptive parents. Apparently his birth parents didn't even want anything to do with him. He just wished he knew more to that story.

Jay almost cried at remembering the new information presented to him only a few days ago, but quickly pushed the offensive tears away and forced himself to get some sleep.

—

Jay was woken up to banging on the cell door just like the days before and was cleaning the deck, again.

He had ended up cleaning until late afternoon and the heat was starting to get to him. The scorching sun had been beating down on the ship all day, and his ankle was starting to hurt real bad from the tight latch and the constant weight of the ball and chain.

A little later Jay could overhear Flintlocke settle an argument between Monkey Wretch and Clancee, and when he got close enough to him, Jay started doing what he did best. Talking.

"The crew listens to you."

"Nadakhan is a good cap'n. My job is to just make sure his ship runs smoothly." Flintlocke responded.

"But how do you make sure everything runs smoothly when your captain doesn't tell you everything you need to know?"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"It's nice of you all to help him make this world-" Jay was interrupted.

"Djinnjago is for all of us."

"Maybe," He continued, "but how long do you think he'll keep you around when he gets infinite wishes?"

"Everybody knows Nadakhan don't get no wishes and ain't nobody can wish fer that."

"That's not what he told me. After a Djinn prince marries on Djinn land, he gets it all. And I've seen how he looks at Nya, reminding him of his Dilara. But what do I know? I'm just the low man on the totem pole. You've helped him build so much, I'm sure he'll need you around when he can wish for, anything."

Flintlocke considered what Jay told him, stroking his mustache in thought.

Jay took that as his cue to keep going. "But listen to me, the crew listens to you. If you're gonna stage a mutiny, now's the time, before he's all powerful. Don't let him take advantage."

Suddenly Nadakhan floated up behind Jay, making him jump a little in surprise.

"What lies is our little canary whistling now, hm?"

There's that stupid nickname again.

"Perhaps another ploy to escape?"

"It's true! He's the one that's lying! He told me everything at dinner!"

"Right, and I have trouble shooting water in an ocean." Flintlocke said sarcastically and he and Nadakhan laughed.

Flintlocke didn't believe him. So much for than plan. Jay scowled and angrily returned to mopping the deck.

"Oh we're being to hard on our guest. Perhaps it's time we involve him in some of our on-ship entertainment." Nadakhan said to Flintlocke.

Jay had a feeling this wasn't gonna be good.

"You don't mean Scrap n' Tap, do ya?" Flintlocke asked and they both laughed.

"Uh, what's Scrap n' Tap?" Jay asked nervously.

"Oh you'll find out." Flintlocke smiled and Jay gulped.

—

Jay was led to the main deck as Nadakhan gathered the crew. Everyone came together in a wrestling ring sort of circle and the ninja's stomach lurched.

This was definitely not going to be good.

Flintlocke pushed Jay into the center of the ring and everyone started cheering. He looked around nervously as Nadakhan floated over.

Monkey Wrench entered the ring and Jay sighed a little in relief until the monkey jumped at him and Jay jumped back in fear.

"The rules are simple," Nadakhan instructed. "May the best one win! Let the scrap begin!"

The cheering increased.

"Take this thing off and let's make this a fair fight." Jay gestured to the ball and chain.

He could barely walk with this thing, let alone fight with it on.

"Fair?" He laughed, "We're pirates!"

Jay's heart sank.

And that was all the warning he got before Monkey Wrench jumped and kicked him in the stomach. Hard. The ball and chain made its presence painfully known as it stopped Jay from going anywhere when the monkey kicked him.

Jay landed hard on his back and his ribs ached. But he wasn't giving up that easily. He quickly stood up and grabbed the chain around his ankle, desperately trying to drag the ball and chain to move fast enough.

Monkey Wrench continued to chase him around the ring until the ball and chain got caught on the floor. Jay pulled on it a little too hard and fell backwards into some pirates. He laughed sheepishly until they pushed him back into the ring, almost making him fall over.

Before Jay could get his balance Monkey Wrench jumped on his head and started yanking on his hair. Jay started running around—or shuffling— trying to get him off. When he finally did yank his opponent off, the monkey swept his tail under Jay's feet and the latter fell on his back. And the ball and chain followed suit landing on Jay's stomach.

Spots danced in and out of his vision as he struggled to open my eyes. Some ribs were probably broken now. Once Monkey Wrench realized his opponent wasn't going to fight back anymore, he cheered and the crowd followed suit.

Jay pushed the ball and chain off himself and stood up painfully. "A-alright ugh. You had your fun, ugh. I'm tapping out. Who's next?"

Jay tried to push his way out of the crowd, he'd much rather go back to cleaning, but they wouldn't let him through. Nadakhan floated over, directing Jay back to the center of the ring.

"Oh no, the loser doesn't tap out," He laughed. "Only the winner does. You have to stay in until someone else loses. Who's next?!"

Jay's stomach lurched for the millionth time that day.

He had to win this next fight. He was a ninja for First Spinjitzu Master's sake! He could take on a few pirates. The others certainly wouldn't have a problem beating a couple of pirates.

Doubloon high-fived Monkey Wrench and stepped into the ring with a staff. This was so unfair, he had a weapon. Well, this whole thing wasn't suppose to be fair for him but still.

Doubloon took a swing with his staff but Jay caught it. Doubloon got a hit on him but Jay quickly recovered. Jay tackled him and it sent Doubloon to the ground. He stood back up with Monkey Wrench's help, again, not fair. Doubloon continued swinging and Jay continued dodging until Doubloon swung his staff at Jay's feet and caught the chain attached to his ankle and made him fall. Once Jay got up, Doubloon hit his shoulder again, harder though. Jay hunched back in pain and before he could recover, Doubloon smacked Jay hard in the side and sent him to the floor on the other side of the ring.

The crowd cheered. Everything became fuzzy for a minute. Jay blinked back tears of pain as he bit his lip to keep from screaming. He couldn't give them that satisfaction. He forced himself not curl into a ball. His ribs screamed in pain. If they weren't broken before, they definitely were now. Jay tried to sit up, but he couldn't.

Nadakhan floated over and pulled Jay up by his hair. He whispered in his ear, "This may go on all day. Unless you want to wish it all away, heh heh. Just say the words and it will all be over."

Jay wasn't going to give in, not now, not ever. And despite his screaming ribs, he managed to stand up, although he was still slumped over. He grunted in pain. "B-bring it on."

He could hear Nadakhan growl, "Next!" He said it so nonchalantly it made Jay shiver. Suddenly, Jay felt a giant thump and the cheering increased. He sheepishly turned around to see Dogshank enter the ring pounding her fists. Cue the stomach lurching again and Jay backed away nervously as far as he could before someone stopped him and pushed him forwards.

She raised her fist and the next thing he knew, it collided with his face and he hit the opposite wall of the ship. This time he couldn't stop the scream that tore from him as the bulky fist collided with his previously abused ribs. He slid down the wall and even before he could get up, a fist came down on his back.

The crowd roared as he was beaten. He couldn't tell how long it went on for but it was long enough. Her last punch was one to the face, right in his left eye.

He was disoriented but he could register that he was on the ground and it was apparent he wasn't getting up. He tried. First Spinjitzu Master he tried, but everything hurt too much.

He didn't remember much after that other than two more pirates entering the ring at the same time and pinning him down while he fought. So many punches to the eye, Jay didn't think he'd be able to see out of it. He did remember being dragged back to his cell where he spent the rest of the night.

Once the dizziness cleared what had to of been hours later, Jay tried to take inventory of all the injuries. A couple ribs were definitely broken, left eye was swollen shut, and everything hurt. He then heard a clanking and looked up to see Clancee with a tray of food.

"W-w-well you have to eat!"

Jay groaned and his stomach lurched at the mention of food. "Uhh, I'm not hungry." He winced at the slur in his voice.

"Y-you fought really well. Y-you held your own, l-like a r-real Pirate. You should have this, to look the part." He dropped the food tray down as well as something else, locked the cage back up, and left.

Jay grunted as he gingerly crawled over to whatever Clancee dropped down. He had no intention of eating the food, not only did it look disgusting, he was sure if he tried to eat, he would've thrown up.

"An eyepatch?" Jay was a little confused, but nevertheless placed it over his swollen eye. Better than covering it himself with his hand.

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the food tray. He immediately remembered his future reflection.

"Just like what I saw in my future, it's all coming true." Not how he'd envisioned in but I guess he didn't completely think through the "losing an eye part" and he really hoped it wouldn't come to that any time soon.

At least that part of the reflection was true. Him ending up with Nya was never gonna happen. Especially now.

"Psst," Jay suddenly heard a noise from above. He looked up, it was Flintlocke, "you always talk to yerself?"

Jay sighed and climbed on top of a barrel in the cell so he could get closer. "Only when I thought I was by myself. What do you want now?" This guy just stood there and laughed while he was being beaten. Jay didn't really feel like talking to him.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe he doesn't need us after all this. But the only way we're gonna stage a mutiny, is if we can get his sword away from him. You think you can handle that?"

That's not what Jay had expected to hear but he scoffed at Flintlocke's request. Although it sounded hoarse and disoriented.

"What am I suppose to do? I'm the one locked up down here!"

Flintlocke pulled a set of keys from his belt and dropped them into the cell. "Wait till he's asleep to make yer move. We'll be right behind you." And with that he walked off like he was never there.

Jay still had questions and called out the pirate's name but he was already gone. Jay picked up the keys and smiled. Finally.

Making sure all the nearby pirates were asleep, Jay carefully reached his hand through the bars and unlocked the top. He quietly climbed out using the stacked barrels in the cell and quietly made his way across the deck to Nadakhan's quarters, careful to sneak past all the sleeping pirates and ignoring his aching ribs.

Once he made it up to the top deck, he gently lifted the glass door to Nadakhan's room and tiptoed inside. He could make out he swords shape next to Nadakhan's bed from the entrance.

Jay looked around nervously as he walked past the sleeping Djinn and sighed as grabbed the sword.

But the sigh of relief turned into a gasp as soon as he picked it up, he noticed his mistake right away. The lights flashed on and he shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. He was met with the entire crew standing in front of him, laughing. Jay immediately dropped the mop he thought was the sword and stared blankly.

"I told ya we'd be right behind ya'" Flintlocke mocked and the laughing increased.

Nadakhan's voice suddenly rang out above the rest. He laughed. "Well, I was wrong, he did fall for it!" The Nadakhan Jay thought was sleeping was actually a manakin, and the real one popped up behind Jay and made him jump back.

"Even I'm not that pin-headed!" He could hear Clancee laugh as the rest of the crew made sounds of agreement.

Jay honestly couldn't believe he fell for the trick! To think, he was so naive to believe that anyone on this ship would show him kindness. He really was stupid.

Jay made an embarrassed sigh as he tried to turn his head away.

"If were all up, I guess we have time for another round of Scrap N' Tap!" The crowd laughed as soon as he made the suggestion. The cheering got louder when the horrified look appeared on Jay's face.

He had to go through that again?!

"That is unless you want to wish it all away. Huh?" Jay could feel Nadakhan's smirk as he felt the cold metal of his hook lift his cheek up almost painfully. "Go ahead, Make your wish!"

Jay straightened his composure and pulled away. Glaring instantly. "No. I won't make another wish."

Nadakhan frowned and stalked closer. Jay instinctively backed up until he was grabbed by Dogshank. "Fine. Let's see how you fair after another few rounds."

—

The next few moments were hard to process. He was chained back up to the weight ball. So tightly it made him let out a whine. He couldn't tell how many more rounds he went through that night. But he could tell it went on for hours.

Beating after beating. Knives seemed to enter the picture at some point.

It never seemed to stop.

He was vaguely aware he was crying after a couple rounds. He couldn't help it. Everything hurt so much and he couldn't get enough of a break to fight back.

It all finally stopped when the sun rose.

He was told to make a wish.

He refused.

He could tell someone hit him. But he didn't know who.

Everything was a blur. His ears rang. He could taste blood. He couldn't see through his tears. Tear tracks stained only one side of his face.

He could tell he was pulled to a standing position. But he wouldn't — couldn't stand on his own.

When he finally could, he was handed a mop. He couldn't believe they expected him to clean after that.

Somehow he managed. For a solid 15 minutes.

And then he passed out.

—

He remembers waking up in his cell. It's night time. Every injury fires up with a new vengeance.

He can't hold the tears that come. He allows himself to cry.

Maybe it makes him weak.

Maybe it makes him a coward.

He doesn't care.

He just wants to go home.

But he doesn't get to complain. This is his fault after all. He deserves this. He made the mistakes, now he's receiving the consequences.

He cried for hours. It just makes it hard to breath but he can't stop. He gets to a point where he runs out of tears. He just chokes on sobs and coughs hysterically.

But he can't stop.

He was so stupid. No one was coming. He couldn't get out of here on his own. He tried and failed, he failed oh so miserably. Several times.

That's all he seemed to do. Screw up.

He cried himself to sleep.

—

When he wakes up its morning, but no one comes to get him.

It's the same thing for the next two days.

No food. No water. No Scrap N' Tap. No cleaning.

He just sits there alone in his cell. For three days, he's alone.

He's hungry. He's thirsty. But no matter how much he begs for food or water, he gets the same answer.

He either gets silence, or another demand for a wish.

He doesn't give in.

He can't.

Because if he does, Nadakhan would have a straighter shot to Nya. And he can't let that happen. He would never forgive himself.

He just has to hold out. Even if no one was coming.

He cried himself to sleep that night too. He does most nights now.

—

He awakes to a banging on the cell and a demand for him to wake up.

The crew finally pulls him out of the brig. Jay's too weak to do so by himself.

By the time they let him out he's gotten significantly skinnier. He's pale and his face is flushed with fever. Dried blood is stained all over his gi. Said gi is ripped and frayed. His ankle is numb from loss of circulation.

His voice is back. Jay hadn't heard that voice in a while. He hasn't missed it.

He demands Jay wish. Jay stays silent. That's all he capable of at the moment.

He gets thrown in another round of Scrap N' Tap.

He only lasts two rounds this time.

His ankle is broken. The one attached to the weight.

His screams rang echoed throughout the ship.

Everyone cheered. They always do when he gets hurt. The louder the screams, the louder the cheers.

He gets thrown back into his cell after refusing to wish again.

—

Another day passes.

He finally gets water. No food though.

They need him alive, not comfortable, they say.

He's cleaning the ship again.

How long has he been here? Long enough.

He's lost all hope of getting out. That hope died a long time ago.

That day is uneventful.

—

The next day he's woken up, no one says anything as they pull him out.

He knows where he's going.

Fear and anxiety well up in his chest.

Panic overtakes him.

Suddenly he can't breathe.

He knows what's coming. He knows.

They throw him in the ring. He lasts five rounds this time. He doesn't know how but he does.

He doesn't win. Oh gosh no he doesn't win. But they get bored eventually.

He's on his knees. He can barely draw in a breath when he's thrown a mop. He doesn't know why he's surprised.

He's free meat during the day. Meaning he's at the crews disposal. They punch him around all day as he works. Sometimes they come in groups, and sometimes it's just one.

It's always bad.

One rips the sleeve of his gi. A whole half of his right sleeve rips off with a sickening tear.

He holds back the onslaught of tears he would usually let free by now.

He earned this gi. They all had. For learning Airjitzu. Now it was torn.

It was already ripped in several places sure, and his blood already stained a good 50% of it. But now, a whole piece was missing. The missing half of the sleeve revealed sickening cuts and bruises that littered his arm. Old and new. Some already infected.

The pirate only laughed and kicked him.

He was forced to continue cleaning.

—

He can't tell how much time has passed since he's been captured. But he knows he looks horrible. Skinny and gaunt. Covered in bruises and lacerations.

One day he's taken to Nadakan's quarters.

Nadakhan isn't happy about him refusing to give in. Jay can't even comprehend half of what he says. His ears are ringing again.

He does register Nadakhan's smirk as someone tackles him and binds his arms behind his back.

He registers being taken back to the Scrap N' Tap ring. He registers that now he really can't fight back. Even if he tried.

He just has to lie there while he's beaten, cut, bruised.

He knows he's crying. He knows it's pathetic. But he doesn't care about his pride anymore.

He just cries as the crowd cheers and yells once more.

He cries when it finally ends, who knows how much later.

He can't even form words of denial through his tears as he's told to wish again.

No matter what they do, he will never give in.

The simple thought of Nya gives him strength.

He's not giving up.

But he can't stop crying.

They untie him. But he's still in the ring. One more person enters for the day.

It's Dogshank again. He doesn't even remember that fight.

But he does remember his laugh as he's lying on the floor boards, struggling to sit up. He remembers those words he's heard so often on this ship.

"Just wish it all away."

Of course he refuses.

He's thrown in his cell again.

Literally.

He doesn't even have the strength to cry. He just drifts off into a nightmare filled slumber, and dreads what tomorrow brings.