Back at the Monastery, the air crackled with a different kind of tension. Unlike the perilous trek Mia and Nelson were currently on, this tension was fueled by impatience and a healthy dose of worry.

Cole, finally free from his blanket prison, paced the floor like a caged tiger. Zane, ever the stoic, stood by the window, occasionally checking the horizon for any sign of their missing comrades.

But it was Jay who truly embodied the state of their collective anxiety. He bounced from foot to foot, his hands clenching and unclenching like a malfunctioning machine.

"They've been gone for hours!" he squeaked, his voice high-pitched with worry. "What if they got lost? Or worse, what if they fell into some spooky cave and got eaten by a giant... cave slug!"

Nya, ever the voice of reason, tried to calm him down. "Jay, relax. Mia and Nelson can handle themselves. Remember, they're trained ninja."

"Yeah, trained ninja who get kidnapped by weird techno-droids and then go missing in a creepy abandoned mall!" Jay retorted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Just because they're ninja doesn't mean they can't get into trouble!"

Nya sighed, patting his arm soothingly. "Look, we'll send out a search party if they don't come back soon. But right now, panicking won't help."

Despite her reassurances, Jay couldn't shake off the gnawing worry that burrowed in his gut. Mia was his little sister, his biggest competition, and his closest confidante. The thought of something happening to her left him feeling helpless and utterly lost.

Just then, Lloyd, who had been meditating under a large bonsai tree, opened his eyes. A sense of calm emanated from him, momentarily silencing the anxious chatter in the room.

"They are safe," he declared, his voice firm yet serene. "They are facing challenges, but they will overcome them."

Though his words offered little in the way of details, they brought a wave of relief to the room. Cole stopped pacing, and even Jay managed to unclench his fists slightly.

"How do you know?" Nya asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Lloyd offered a cryptic smile. "A master knows when their students are in danger," he said, "but also when they are rising to the occasion." Then he grinned. " Also, Neuro told me. Rather, telecommunicated to me.

A shrill ringtone pierced the tense silence, making Jay jump a mile high. It was Lloyd's phone, and as he pulled it out, a collective breath was held. Could it be Mia or Nelson, finally checking in?

But the caller ID displayed a name that they hadn't read in a long time: Garmadon.

Lloyd exchanged a surprised look with Nya before answering the call on speakerphone. "Hey... Dad. What's the occasion?"

The voice that crackled through the receiver was unmistakably Garmadon's, yet there was a strange, almost hesitant quality to it. "Lloyd... have you found him?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. They all knew who "him" referred to – Master Wu. But Garmadon? Why would he be calling to ask? Wouldn't be be... you know... searching on foot?

Lloyd sighed, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. "Not exactly," he admitted. "Mia and Nelson went looking for him on their own, and..."

He trailed off, not needing to elaborate on the frantic search party they were about to embark on.

Suddenly, a loud, booming voice filled the room, seemingly emanating from the phone itself. "On their own?! But why? And more importantly, are they wearing proper attire for spelunking?"

Everyone stared at the phone in disbelief. The booming voice, laced with a theatrical flourish, could only belong to one person – Garmadon, but... different.

As if on cue, the image on the video call flickered to life. There, on the screen, stood Garmadon, but not as they knew him. He was clad in a bright pink, flower-patterned dress that clashed horribly with his usual dark attire. To top it all off, his lips were painted a garish shade of red, completing the bizarre transformation.

Lloyd blinked, speechless for a moment. "Dad? What... what are you wearing?"

Garmadon, unfazed by his son's bewildered expression, adjusted his imaginary shawl and cleared his throat dramatically. "Darling, this is no time for fashion critiques! The fate of Ninjago hangs in the balance, and your precious little ninjas are gallivanting around some dusty cave in inappropriate clothing!"

"By dressing like a... like a..." Lloyd faltered, searching for the right word.

But before Garmadon could unleash another dramatic tirade, another voice cut through the speaker. A voice laced with exasperation and a hint of amusement. "Garmadon, what in the name of the First Spinjitzu Master are you doing?" It was Misako, her voice laced with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

The image on the screen flickered again, revealing Misako standing beside a bewildered-looking Garmadon. Unlike his "girlish attire," Misako looked perfectly composed, her usual attire a stark contrast to her husband's flamboyant get-up.

Lloyd, seizing the opportunity, directed his question towards his mother. "Mom, why is Dad wearing... that?"

Misako rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. "Let's just say your father... volunteered for a very important mission that required a certain... theatrical approach."

Garmadon, puffing out his chest in a mock-offended manner, interjected. "Theatrical? It's diplomacy, darling! International diplomacy at its finest!"

Lloyd shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips. Despite the absurdity of the situation, he couldn't help but be happy to see his parents interacting, even if it was through a video call and with Garmadon looking like a rejected extra from a musical.

"Okay, look," Misako cut back in, her voice regaining its seriousness, "as entertaining as this is, we have bigger problems. Garmadon may be... indisposed for a while, but he was concerned about your search for Master Wu. Did you find him?"

"No, Misako," Nya spoke up, taking the phone from Lloyd. "We haven't found Master Wu yet, but Mia and Nelson went looking for him on their own."

The moment the words left her lips, the once flamboyant Garmadon seemed to deflate. The pink dress lost its vibrancy, the lipstick seeming to bleed into his scowl. In a blink, the theatrical facade vanished, replaced by the stern Garmadon they all knew.

"On their own?!" he boomed, his voice shaking the very phone. "Those reckless... those... children! Don't they understand the dangers? Don't they appreciate the importance of proper planning and a well-equipped search party?"

He ranted on, a whirlwind of frustration and concern. Misako, ever the mediator, tried to calm him down. "Garmadon, darling, shouting won't help. We need to find a way to assist them."

But Garmadon was on a roll. "Assist them? We need to rescue them! Who knows what perilous caverns they've stumbled into! Who knows what ancient traps or monstrous creatures they might encounter?!"

Lloyd, finally regaining his composure, held up a hand to silence his father. "Dad, relax. Mia and Nelson are trained ninja. They can handle themselves."

Garmadon scoffed. "Trained ninja? Trained toddlers, more like it! They wouldn't know an elemental dragon from a sock puppet in a dark cave!"

Nya, unable to contain herself any longer, retorted. "They're not toddlers, Garmadon! They've faced far worse than sock puppets!"

"Worse?!" Garmadon sputtered, his voice reaching a new octave. "Worse than Serpentine armies? Worse than the Overlord himself? Worse than... than a sock puppet with bad intentions?!"

The room erupted in laughter, even Misako struggling to suppress a smile. Garmadon, realizing the absurdity of his last statement, cleared his throat sheepishly.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, a hint of his theatrical flourish returning. "Perhaps I overreacted slightly. But my point stands! Their well-being is paramount! We must—"

Before he could launch into another diatribe, Misako took control. "Garmadon, let's breathe. We don't even know where they are. Lloyd, can you track their phones?"

Lloyd, relieved at the change in direction, nodded. "On it, Mom." He tapped on his phone, a frown creasing his face as he looked up. "There's no signal."

A collective groan filled the room. The lack of signal meant they had no idea where Mia and Nelson were, or what dangers they might be facing. The search party seemed to have hit a major roadblock.

The frustrated silence that followed Lloyd's words was cut short by Garmadon's dramatic outburst. "This is enough!" he roared, throwing a wad of colorful fabric across the room. It landed with a plop at Misako's feet, unfurling to reveal a bright yellow blouse adorned with sequins.

Misako raised an eyebrow, her amusement barely contained. "Garmadon, what's all this for?" she asked, gesturing to the growing pile of mismatched clothing at her feet.

Garmadon, ignoring her question, grabbed another garment – a pair of sparkly purple leggings – and hurled them towards his wife. "No time! We must improvise! Change, darling, change! We're going on a rescue mission!"

Misako rolled her eyes, a wry smile playing on her lips. "A rescue mission? In... that?" she pointed towards the growing pile of flamboyant clothes.

"Precisely!" Garmadon declared, striking a heroic pose. "Distraction is key! With my... unique attire, we'll draw the enemy's attention, allowing Lloyd and his team to locate Master Wu undetected!"

The plan, to put it mildly, was outrageous. Yet, a strange sense of admiration flickered in Lloyd's eyes. Even with his flamboyant dress gone, Garmadon's concern for his friends and family shone through.

Before Lloyd could interject, Misako sighed dramatically. "Oh alright, Garmadon," she conceded, a hint of a playful smile gracing her lips. "If that's what it takes to ensure the children's safety... I better follow your father, Lloyd. Keep us updated if you find anything on Mia and Nelson's location."

With that, Misako disappeared from the screen, leaving a bewildered Lloyd and a triumphant Garmadon staring at the phone.

"Now then," Garmadon declared, puffing out his chest, "where's the nearest villain base? We have a distraction to orchestrate!"

The silence following Garmadon's declaration hung heavy in the air. The situation, though dire, couldn't help but hold a touch of absurdity. Here they were, the fate of Ninjago resting on their shoulders, and Garmadon was planning a rescue mission involving a pile of outlandish clothes.

Suddenly, a voice broke the tension. "My former lord," Rumi spoke, her voice laced with a hint of amusement as she approached the phone, a weathered map clutched in her hand. "You might want to consider using the old Serpentine base as your... distraction location."

Garmadon, momentarily flabbergasted, straightened his posture. "The old base? But that's miles from here!"

Rumi unfolded the map, its surface worn smooth from years of use. A red circle marked a location near the edge. "Not according to this," she countered, pointing to the circle. "It's actually quite close to your current... diplomatic location."

A mischievous glint entered Garmadon's eyes. "Excellent! The element of surprise is key in any successful distraction. Lloyd, my son, inform your team to prepare for a... unique search and rescue mission. We'll be creating a diversion of epic proportions!"

Lloyd, still trying to wrap his head around the situation, nodded slowly. "Alright, Dad, but... be careful. And try not to cause too much trouble."

Garmadon chuckled, a hint of his old mischievousness returning. "Trouble, my dear boy? Where's the fun in that? We're going to cause a glorious, unforgettable distraction! Now, hand me those purple leggings, Misako needs a worthy partner in crime!"

As Lloyd relayed the plan to his team, a mix of apprehension and amusement filled the room. Cole, ever the pragmatist, raised an eyebrow. "So, we're relying on your dad... in a dress... to create a diversion?"

Jay, unable to contain himself, burst into laughter. "This is even better than the time we used Nya's dance moves to fight off the Nindroids!"

Nya, cheeks flushing slightly, swatted him playfully on the arm. "Hey! That was a strategic maneuver!"

Despite the humor of the situation, they knew the stakes were high. Mia and Nelson were out there, facing unknown dangers, and they had to find them. With Garmadon's unorthodox plan in motion, they prepared to launch their search party, a mix of ninja skill and their former Overlord's flamboyant theatricality.

One thing was certain – the rescue mission for Master Wu was about to get very interesting.