*********flashback*********

Alex's P.O.V.:

While we were waiting for the others to come back from their mission, I was working on unlocking the chest. There was some kind of aura surrounding it that wouldn't respond to any of us. I had been trying for weeks and I was starting to lose hope I would ever unlock it.

Then it hit me. Airjitsu was created by sensei Yang, so maybe he put a magical aura on it that so it could only be open by one of his descendants!

"Yes! That's it!" I said.

"What is?" Matt asked.

"The secret to the chest! It can only be open by one of Sensei Yang's descendants."

"Great, so the people we're trying not to give the chest to contains the only person who can actually open it. Fantastic." Blake said sarcastically.

"What's so important about that chest?" Olivia asked.

"That's what we came here for in the first place." Trent explained. "The scroll contains the instructions to do Airjitsu, a special art that can make a spinjitsu master fly."

"I thought that was called cyclon-do?" Olivia said.

"That's what Dad likes to call it." Matt laughed.

"It really is a better name though." Olivia said.

"I know right?" Matt said.

All of a sudden I heard a noise coming from the woods. I used my scanners for a closer look and I saw Lena and Zera watching us from a distance. I alerted Matt and he turned to Olivia.

"Olivia, go into the shelter and stay as quiet as you can. I'll tell you when it's safe to come out, ok?" Matt said.

"Ok." Olivia nodded and went into the shelter to hide.

"Give us that scroll!" Lena yelled.

"Come and get it!" I yelled.

I soon realized that with Blake's injured shoulder, Trent without his suit, and Matt given only the minimal amount of training, I was the only one skilled enough to defend the scroll against these two.

Blake tried his best by trying to do his spinjitsu, but his shoulder started hurting again and he had to stop. Lena kicked him down and he passed out.

Matt, Trent and I tried to tag team Zera, but she used a time bubble to slow us down. During which Lena pulled Trent out, put a sack over his head and teleported away with him. Then Zera slammed Matt against the ground and punched me into a tree. My sensors sent me into shock and I got knocked offline...

********end of flashback********

Ashley's P.O.V.:

We were in the process of making sure our friends were ok. Jax was able to shock Alex awake with his lightning powers. He was ok for the most part, but some of his systems were offline. Lily poured some water on Matt's head to wake him. He had a bad headache and could barely stand on his left knee. Amber was able to wake Blake up, but his shoulder was in even more pain than before.

Ryder was trying to tighten Blake's sling while Amber borrowed Alex's powers to ice his shoulder. Lily was bandaging up Matt's knee, Ethan and Allison were checking on Olivia, and Jax was looking at Alex to see what he could do about his systems.

Meanwhile, I was freaking out about Trent. I couldn't believe I was such an idiot to trust the VKA. How could I have been so stupid? Everyone was looking to me to heal them, and I couldn't. My power wasn't back yet, my best friend is missing, and we didn't know where the scroll was. This was all way too overwhelming.

"Ashley, it's ok." Ryder said, interrupting my pacing. "We're going to get him back, I promise."

"How did we not see him coming?" Alex frowned.

"No, it's my fault Alex." Ryder frowned. "I should've taken Matt and Trent with me so Jax and Lily could help you protect the scroll."

"I'm sorry Ryder, I did my best." Matt frowned.

"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant Lily and Jax have had more training than you and Trent have." Ryder said. "They're more used to Lena and Zera's fighting styles."

"I know." Matt frowned. He flinched as Lily touched his knee. "Ow!"

"It doesn't matter whose fault it was, Trent is in trouble and we need to help him!" I said. "We know where their camp is, we can rush in there and demand him back."

"We can't do that, that's exactly what they want us to do." Ryder said. "We need to come up with a plan first."

"That's a waste of time. Trent needs our help now!" I yelled.

"I know he does, but we can't just rush in there without a plan. We'll figure something out ok?"

"No Ryder! It's not ok!" I screamed.

I noticed everyone was staring at me funny, it's like they were frightened by my outburst. I looked at my reflection in a puddle and my eyes were turning a dark purple color. My feelings of anger and frustration turned into fear immediately. I backed away and started panicking.

"Ashley, calm down." Ethan said. "Just close your eyes and count to ten, slowly. Focus on your breathing."

I did everything Ethan said and took deep breaths while I counted. Once I was done, I started to feel more relaxed. I was still a little on edge, but how could I not be?

"Are you ok?" Ryder asked me.

"Yeah I... I think I'm alright now." I said. "Thanks Ethan."

"Ryder, there is something you need to know." Alex said. "I found out how to open the chest, but I'm afraid they will have the advantage."

"What do you mean?" Ryder asked.

"I have determined that the chest is designed so that only a descendant of Sensei Yang can open it." Alex explained.

"Oh no, if they've figured that out, that means they've probably learned Airjitsu by now." Amber said.

"Let's hope they don't know that yet." Ryder said. "Now let's get a plan together so we can get Trent back. Ok Ashley?"

"Fine, but let's hurry." I sighed.

"Matt hold still." Lily said, trying to bandage up his knee. Matt looked like he was in a lot of pain and his knee looked swollen.

"Here let me look at that." I said, grabbing my first aid kit and running over to Matt.

I got the bandages out and quickly wrapped up his knee the best I could. He was still in pain and couldn't walk, but I think he felt at least a little better.

While I was doing that, we talking about ways we could get Trent back, but nothing we came with was going to work and honestly we were waisting time.

They were all busy arguing and I was able to sneak back into the woods. If they weren't going to do anything, it was time to take matters into my own hands.

Trent's P.O.V.:

I woke up and I was in some kind of cage. I looked out and saw Lena and Zera sitting by their fire. They were facing away from me so I didn't think they noticed I was awake yet.

I tried to stand up but my head really hurt and I had cuts and bruises everywhere. What happened to me?

I kept looking around and then I noticed the chest. Now I remember, they were after the scroll and took both it and me away from my friends. I didn't understand why they wanted me though, without my suit and mech, I was totally useless on this island. I mean Alex and Blake were right there. Those two would be better than me for whatever it is they wanted. Even Matt would be more useful because he doesn't have asthma, and he grew up in the woods for years, he has the best survival skills out of all of us. Plus he can make mechs and vehicles in a matter of hours. Not to mention that because of me Ashley lost her powers and now she feels useless too. I never wanted anyone to feel that way.

I watched as Marcus walked up to the camp with Seth limping and leaning on his shoulder. He seemed confused when he saw me in the cage.

"What in Ninjago happened here?" Marcus said.

"We got the scroll!" Zera said.

"It was like taking candy from a baby." Lena said.

"Did you guys seriously use Seth's accident as a distraction to steal the scroll?" Marcus said.

"Yeah, it worked out pretty well." Zera said.

"We could've really used your help back there." Marcus frowned.

"Yeah, I had to be rescued by the junior ninja. Do you know how embarrassing that was?" Seth complained.

"Oh get over it." Lena said. "You got rescued, and we got the scroll. It was a win-win."

"And we even kidnapped one of them." Zera said pointing at me.

"What was the point of that?" Marcus asked.

"So that when they come here and demand their scroll back, we can make them choose between him, and the scroll." Zera said. "Duh."

"But it's just a box." Marcus said looking at it. "Did they find a way to open it?"

"We don't know, but it doesn't look like it." Lena said.

"Wait, I know how to open it." I said.

"Yeah right, like we're falling for that." Lena laughed.

"No, I can help. You can let me join your team."

"And why would we do that?" Lena asked.

"Because I've been in that team forever, and they don't appreciate me. I've always felt like an outsider because I don't have powers like my siblings or my friends, but maybe I would do better as a villain kid."

"Are you even related to a villain?" Seth asked.

"Yes I am. In fact, I'm the grandson of Master Chen." I said. "He had all the elemental masters compete against each other in an underground tournament and when they lost, forced them to work in a noodle factory."

"What's so evil about that?" Marcus asked.

"They weren't allowed to eat the merchandise." I said.

"Whoa, truly diabolical." Seth said.

"And what exactly do you bring to the team if you don't have any powers?" Zera said.

"I've been working with the junior ninja team my whole life. I know all their secrets and weaknesses. Let me on your team and you'll have the upper hand every time." I said.

"Well, Seth is going to be out of commission for a while. We could use the help." Marcus said.

"Did I mention that I was trained by my aunt who was great with technology? I can repair and build anything you want." I said.

"Alright, fine. But if you step out of line, we will make you regret it." Zera said.

"Marcus, unlock the cage." Seth said.

"Wait, are you sure we can trust him?" Lena said. "How do you know this isn't a trick to grab the scroll and take off?"

"I'll tell you how to open it." I said. "Alex figured out that only a descendant of Master Yang can open the chest."

"Marcus, that's you." Zera said.

"It's worth a try." Marcus said.

Marcus put his hands near the chest and the magical seal was broken. The chest magically opened to reveal the scroll. It was floating in midair and he grabbed it.

"It worked!" Marcus said.

"See, I told you." I crossed my arms.

"Fine, I guess he's earned his place." Lena said.

Lena grabbed the key to the cage and unlocked the door. She let me out and I stretched my arms. It was really cramped in that cage.

A little while later, the girls went to the stream to catch some fish while Seth took a nap in the shelter to rest after his accident. Marcus was showing me around camp, but I started holding my head. I was still a little dizzy from passing out earlier.

"Are you ok Trent?" Marcus noticed.

"Yeah, just a small headache." I said. "It's nothing compared to the time I crashed my mech in my yard. Gee that was a rough landing."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about Lena and Zera, I had no idea they were planning on kidnapping you. Seth and I try to keep those two under control, but sometimes there's nothing we can do." Marcus sighed.

"It's ok, I'm kind of glad. Those guys don't really care about me anyway. They probably aren't even concerned about me." I frowned.

"Why wouldn't they be? I thought they were your family."

"All I ever do is slow them down." I sighed. "They're better off without me."

"Geez, some family." Marcus said sarcastically. "I'll tell you what, if I had one, I wouldn't turn my back on them, no matter what."

"Is that why you stick with the VKA?"

"Yeah, before I met them it was just me in that temple all by myself for years. No family, no friends, just me. I thought I liked being by myself, and I still do sometimes, but it's a lot better with a team, you know?"

"It's just hard when your own team doesn't appreciate you." I frowned.

"Really? Not even your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Who, Ashley? Oh yeah, we were born on the same day within hours of each other. She's always been my best friend, but then I had a bad asthma attack and she had to use all the power she had to save my life." I frowned. "She won't admit it, but I know she hates me now."

"But she chose to save you didn't she?"

"I told her not to, and it's a miracle she even survived that. If I were to have another one, it could be fatal if she tries to save me again. I can't put her through that."

"Is that why you want you want to join our side?"

"One of the reasons." I sighed. "I just don't want anyone else to feel like they don't belong, and the fact that I did makes me a bad guy anyway. Might as well become one for real, right?"

"Ok, if you're sure." He said.

After a while I needed to go to the bathroom, so I went into the woods alone. On my way back I ran into Ashley and she immediately hugged me.

"Oh Trent, I was so worried about you. Are you ok? Did they hurt you?" She asked, looking at the cuts and bruises on my arms and legs.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Where are the others?"

"Back at the shelter. They wanted to come up with a plan first but I didn't want to wait because I was worried you were hurt." She said.

"You shouldn't have come alone, you can't be here." I whispered.

"What do you mean?" Ashley frowned. "You don't want me to take you back after you escaped?"

"I didn't escape, I joined the VKA now." I frowned. "Maybe if I'm here, I can find a way to be useful and I won't make anyone else feel worthless like me ever again."

"Feel worthless? Is that what you think?"

"Well yeah, I'm the reason your powers are gone. It's obvious you hate me now."

"Trent, that's ridiculous. I don't blame you for anything."

"Well you should. All I ever do is mess everything up." I crossed my arms. "Maybe I can do better on a team that actually appreciates me."

"Trent please don't do this." Ashley frowned.

"I already made up my mind. Trust me, it's better this way. You better go before they realize you're here."

"No. I'm not leaving without you." She grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry, I can't hurt anyone else I love." I grabbed her hand and kissed it. "It's for the best if we don't see each other again. I would hate for them to hurt you."

"But I..."

"This is the way it has to be." I frowned and let go of her. "I love you Ashley. Goodbye."

I backed away and slowly walked back to my camp. I didn't want to break her heart, but she was better off without me.

Ashley's P.O.V.:

I stood there completely speechless. How could Trent do something like this? I couldn't think straight.

"Ashley?!" I heard Ryder's voice, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ashley? Where are you?" Amber's voice followed.

I dropped to my knees and started crying. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and quickly slapped it away.

"Ashley?" I heard Ryder's voice behind me. "Are you ok?"

"No." I frowned. "He... he left."

"Who? Left what?" Amber asked.

"Trent, h-he left the team." I told her.

Ryder and Amber stared at each other like they weren't sure what to do. I was too devastated to do anything.

"Come on Ashley, with everyone's help I'm sure we can come up with a plan." Ryder assured me.

"Ok." I frowned.

Ryder and Amber picked me up and walked me back to our camp. I had to explain what happened to Trent to the others and that didn't go over well.

"What? My brother's in the VKA now?" Blake freaked out.

"He didn't say much, just that it was... better this way." I sighed.

"Are you sure he's not just keeping his cover to get the scroll back for us?" Alex asked.

"He was alone when I ran into him. If that was his plan, he would've told me." I frowned.

"Don't you have to be related to a villain to get into the alliance?" Allison asked.

"We are." Amber sighed. "Our grandfather was Master Chen."

"Oh, right." Allison said. "Sorry I forgot."

"It's not something we like to bring up." Blake sighed.

"Oh man, does that mean we're related to Chen too?" Jax asked his sister.

"Only by marriage." Lily shrugged.

"I just don't get it. Why would Trent do something like this?" Matt asked.

"He blames himself for me losing my powers." I frowned. "I told him it was my choice to save him, but he wouldn't listen. He said that he can't afford to hurt anyone else."

"Maybe Lena put some kind of spell on him?" Blake suggested.

"Not likely. I've known Trent my whole life and that was definitely him talking to me." I said.

"Well if he's made his choice, then who are we to stop him?" Amber frowned.

"Seriously? You just want to sit around and not do anything to help our brother?" Blake yelled at her.

"Of course not, but if he doesn't want to come back, we can't force him to." She frowned.

"At least we know he's safe and the VKA aren't going to hurt him if he's on their side." Ryder said.

"Trent thinks that we don't appreciate him and if we let him stay there it'll prove just that." I frowned.

"Of course we appreciate him, but Amber's right." Ryder frowned. "If he wants to join their team, then we can't force him to come back. Maybe in time he'll come to senses, but it has to be on his terms, not because we made him."

"So there's nothing we can do?" I frowned.

"Not at the moment." Ryder frowned. "I'm afraid we'll have to wait this one out."

"That might work for you, but I'm going to get my best friend back." I stood up.

Without saying another word I sprinted off towards the woods. Nothing was going to stop me from getting him back. Nothing.

To be continued...