Stepping off the plane, Mia winced as the bright Hagiology Doughty sun hammered down on her already-throbbing head. Nelson, ever the optimist, grinned beside her.

"Welcome to Hagiology Doughty, Mia! Land of questionable intel and hopefully, a very healthy Wu."

Mia, however, wasn't sharing his enthusiasm. "Questionable intel is putting it mildly," she grumbled, squinting at the unfamiliar airport signs. "We need to find the baggage claim, grab our stuff, and then figure out how to get to this supposed luxurious monastery."

"Hold on," Nelson interjected, scratching his head in confusion. "Baggage claim? We're not at the Bounty, Mia. Remember? We flew in on a commercial airline."

Mia blinked, momentarily thrown off guard. "Right. Plane. Not spaceship. Duh."

But then, a stubborn streak emerged. "Still," she insisted, "we need to find our bags. My ninja suit is in there, and I'm not exactly comfortable facing ancient prophecies in a travel-stained t-shirt."

Nelson chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Fair enough. But there's no such thing as 'baggage claim' on a commercial flight, Mia. It's called baggage carousel."

Mia's jaw clenched. "Same difference, Nelson! We need to find where they put our luggage before we embark on this wild goose chase of a mission."

Nelson threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Lead the way, oh wise interpreter of airport terminology."

With a determined glint in her eyes, Mia marched towards the arrivals hall, Blackie trotting faithfully at her heels. Nelson followed, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

"Wild goose chase? More like a wild headache chase," he grumbled, earning a playful swat from Mia's arm.

Despite their bickering, a sense of camaraderie filled the air. Even with a pounding head and a questionable lead, they were a team, ready to navigate the bustling airport, the mysteries of Hagiology Doughty, and whatever awaited them on their quest to find Wu.

Blinking in the harsh airport light, Mia clutched her head, the throbbing headache a persistent drumbeat. "Alright, Blackie," she mumbled, "Operation: Find Our Ninja Gear commences now."

Blackie, ever the sassy feline, flicked his tail dismissively. "About time, human. I was starting to think we were stuck here permanently, surrounded by these... loud, smelly things with wheels." He wrinkled his nose in disdain, eyeing a nearby suitcase with suspicion.

Nelson, ever the optimist, patted Mia's back. "Don't worry, Mia. We'll find that 'baggage claim' in no time. Maybe it's hidden in a secret ninja portal somewhere."

Blackie snorted, a dainty sound that somehow conveyed utter disbelief. "A ninja portal? In an airport? Please, Nelson, even you can't be that naive."

Mia rolled her eyes, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through her skull. "Right, because airports are notorious for their hidden ninja portals. Let's just..." she trailed off, squinting at the airport signage.

"Aha!" she declared triumphantly, pointing towards a set of double doors adorned with a picture of a suitcase with a cheerful smile. "See? Baggage Claim. Easy peasy."

Nelson, however, scratched his head in confusion. "Actually, Mia, I'm pretty sure that sign says 'Departures.' You know, where you leave from, not where you get your stuff?"

Mia's jaw clenched. "Maybe it's a multi-lingual sign, Nelson. Like, 'Departures' in one language and 'Baggage Claim' in another? Like ancient ninja code or something."

Nelson gave her a deadpan stare. "Pretty sure ancient ninja code wasn't written on airport signs, Mia."

Blackie chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, of course. Because ancient ninjas were known for their impeccable taste in airport signage."

Just then, Mia's phone buzzed. It was a message from Zane, a picture of a baggage carousel with a simple caption: "Look for the spinning thing with luggage."

Blackie hopped onto Mia's shoulder and peered at the screen. "Well, that was helpful," he declared. "Though I would have phrased it a bit more... elegantly."

Mia, with a sigh, showed the picture to Nelson. "See? This is what we're looking for. A giant rotating... thingy. With luggage."

Nelson peered over her shoulder, then pointed in the opposite direction. "But Mia, that's the security check. You know, where they pat you down and confiscate your ninja stars?"

Mia groaned, her headache intensifying by the second. Defeated, she turned to a nearby airport worker, a man with a weary expression and a nametag that read "Phil."

"Excuse me, Phil," she began, her voice cracking slightly, "could you please point us in the direction of the... luggage... carousel... thingy?"

Phil blinked at them, then a slow smile spread across his face. "You two Ninjago folks, huh? Lost your way to the baggage claim? It's right past the giant pretzel stand, can't miss it."

Mia and Nelson exchanged sheepish glances. "Giant pretzel stand?" Mia repeated.

Phil chuckled. "Yeah, it's a Hagiology Doughty specialty. Highly recommend the mustard one. Now, scoot! Don't want you ninja folks missing your adventure, headache or not."

As they finally reached the baggage claim, amidst the whirring of the carousel and the chaos of arriving passengers, Mia couldn't help but mumble, "Maybe next time we stick to the Bounty."

Nelson grinned, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Maybe," he conceded, "but at least we got a good laugh (and a pretzel recommendation) out of this whole airport fiasco."

Blackie, perched atop Mia's luggage, flicked his tail dismissively. "Just as long as we get out of this noisy, smelly place soon," he declared. "And perhaps find a decent sunbeam for me to nap in. This whole 'mission' business is terribly exhausting."

With their luggage retrieved and a newfound appreciation for clear signage, Mia, Nelson, and Blackie (with dreams of sunbeams dancing in his head and a pretzel in his mouth) were finally ready to embark on their mission. Their quest to find Wu might be shrouded in mystery, but one thing was certain – their journey, complete with airport mishaps and sassy feline critiques, was sure to be an unforgettable adventure.