(New character alert!)

No One's POV
The boys were learning fast. Though only Valt and Jin had awakened their Elements so far, each one of the boys was adapting the Art of the Dragon to their own styles. Valt and Jin proved to worthy adversaries to each other and the other Masters when they sparred, and their Elements only made them even deadlier than the others.

And so PIXAL decided to move their training to the next level.

One day when the boys came to the Monastery, they were met with a bizarre sight. PIXAL was wearing her knapsack, but she'd opted to wear her blue and red armor instead. Valt looked just as confused as the rest of them beside her.

That wasn't a good sign. When PIXAL didn't tell Valt her learning agenda, it's usually because she wanted to "surprise" all of them.

And her surprises were never good.

Honcho noticed the portal generating device strapped to the outside of her armor. "So...where are we going?" He asked nonchalantly enough, but he was secretly sweating. If they weren't going to Ninjago, where in the heck were they going?

"Don't ask me - she refuses to tell me," Valt told him, sending a pointed side glance at PIXAL.

She simply smiled her infuriating smile. "I'm not telling you all until we get there," She replied, already reaching for the buttons so she could open the portal. "Trust me, though - you'll like it."

Quon groaned. "The last time we trusted you when you surprised us with a new training regime, we ended up waking up the next day with locking joints," He complained. "How is this going to be any better?"

PIXAL's smile only grew larger. "You'll see."

As the horde of confused boys surrounded her, PIXAL finished her sequence on the generating device. The portal blazed to life in front of them, washing them all in blue light. PIXAL gestured them all through the doorway before following, as per usual.

But what wasn't per usual was the world into which they stepped into.

They quickly deduced that it wasn't the streets of New Ninjago City by the sudden wave of heat that greeted them. Then there was the blinding light. As they collectively blinked until their eyes adjusted, they beheld a strange sight - instead the normal white light they'd come to expect from the Sun, what hung in the sky was a golden brown orb that somehow was able to shine light. The sky was a dusty gold instead of the normal blue; instead of oceans or forests, there was desert all around. The only water source within sight was a large river that reflected the odd color of the sky. Craggy peaks of muddy umber dotted the horizon.

What was really different about it was the dark shapes that flew just below the Sun and released thundering growls that echoed for miles.

The boys were quiet for a moment. Then they erupted in whoops and cheers as they realized exactly where they were.

"WE'RE IN THE FIRST REALM??!!"

PIXAL laughed at their reactions, watching as her students ran around and tried to capture their new surroundings from every possible angle; their eyes sparkled with joy that rivaled the light from the goldenrod Sun. "Yes - welcome to the first world of Ninjago," She said dramatically, spreading her arms to indicate the wide expanse around them. The dark Sun outlined her in a surreal light. "The Realm of Oni and Dragon!"

The outbursts of delight only got louder when she confirmed it. "What are we doing here, PIXAL?" Valt asked, running up to her with his brown eyes ablaze with excitement. "Are we going to meet Firstbourne?"

"Are we getting our own dragons?" Wakiya inferred next to him, his blue eyes shining at the prospect of owning an actual dragon.

"Are we going on our first official quest?" Yugo added over Valt's shoulder. His brown eyes sparkled at the idea of a quest.

"Are we finally going to learn Spinjitzu?" Kit butted in, jumping on their backs and jamming his head in between theirs. The four looked at her with such hope and wonder, she was almost hesitant to tell them her actual plan.

"You will meet Firstbourne in due time," She said to Valt's falling face. "Same with the dragons," She answered a shocked Wakiya. "You're still not ready for your first quest," She told a disappointed Yugo. "And I still have yet to see you spin for thirty seconds without throwing up," She informed a sad Kit.

They all heaved sighs of disappointment. "So what are we doing here?" Wakiya grouched, glaring slightly at her.

"I have a feeling it might have something to do with that city over there?" Lui spoke up, the only one who hadn't melted at the sight of the First Realm. The other boys looked over at the flame haired boy, who was standing at the edge of a nearby cliff. He pointed out over the large expanse of desert towards the largest mountain of all, towering towards the heavens with peaks of rock that looked almost like swords. Near its base was a city - nowhere near as large or technologically forward as Ninjago, yet it seemed to be advanced retro-style. Large machines of metal and stone cranked so loud that they could be heard even from where the boys stood.

And of course, it was swarming with dragons.

"That is the city of Wu's Pride," PIXAL revealed, stepping to the edge of the cliff besides Lui and casting the city a fond look. "And yes - that is our destination."

Shu came up next to her and gauged the distance between them and the city; he groaned. "What is with you and programming the portal to spit us out twenty miles away from our destination?" He asked her.

PIXAL laughed deeply. "Wouldn't you say the dramatics are worth it?" She asked him playfully.

"Not for our feet," Free broke in from behind the trio. The others voiced their agreement.

"Okay, seriously - what are we doing here?" Wakiya grumbled. "It better be worth it if we're gonna have to kill our soles just to find a decent bathroom."

"We're in the wild, Goldilocks," Honcho told him, a daring arch in his eyebrows. "EVERYTHING is your toilet!"

The Murasaki heir went a little green around the gills. "On second thought, I'll hold it until we get back," He amended.

"GUYS!" Naoki spoke up from where he'd been facepalming a welt into his face. He gestured pointedly towards PIXAL. "The POINT. Can we GET ON IT? PLEASE?"

Jin snorted and jabbed his boyfriend in the side with his elbow. "You're no fun, Naoki," He told him jokingly.

The teal haired scientist sighed gratingly. "I just want to move the conversation along before we delve into deeper depths of idiocy," He replied tiredly.

Wakiya and Honcho instantly looked offended. "WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" They yelled in unison.

I swear, these boys can't go anywhere without arguing about something or other, PIXAL thought ruefully, pinching the bridge of her shiny nose. She clapped her metallic hands, drawing the boys' attention back to her. "It's come to my attention that you boys are coming along in your training a lot quicker than anticipated - two of you have already awakened your Elements!" At that, Valt and Jin shot each other smug grins. "So I've decided to take things to the next level." She gestured to Wu's Pride. "The people of the First Realm are adapted to harsher conditions, therefore their fighting styles are a little more robust, and each person's style is unique. From now on, our lessons will involve coming to the First Realm and training under their different instructors."

The boys absorbed her words and gazed towards the city with a new reverence. "Sounds like fun," Xander said, smiling toothily and cracking his knuckles. "I like a good challenge."

"Again - you couldn't have told us this while in the city?" Shu asked blandly.

"Shut it, Snow White," Lui growled. The two glared at each other.

Ren Wu was still staring at the city when he suddenly spoke up in alarm, "Uh, PIXAL, I think there's someone coming!" Everyone's attention caught, he pointed towards the outskirts of Wu's Pride, where a cloud of dust was steadily moving across the desert. It was halfway to the cliff before the boys deduced that it was heading towards them.

"Should we be worried?" Valt asked PIXAL, slowly lowering himself into a fighting stance.

PIXAL focused intently on the dust cloud for a few seconds. "No," She said finally, smiling. "If that's who I think it is, we have nothing to worry about."

"Who is it, then?" Boa gritted out through teeth, shifting on his feet as he and the others grew anxious.

"You'll see," PIXAL said simply.

"Ya know, I think I speak for all of us when I say I am really getting tired of you saying that," Ukyo told her hotly.

The dust cloud got closer and closer as the boys got more and more anxious. Having never been in the First Realm before, they didn't know what to expect from the locals. Would they get a warm welcome or a hostile one?

The abilities of whatever was in the cloud was becoming apparent as it reached the bottom of the cliff; instead of stopping, it started to climb up the rocky face, which only made the boys even more antsy. They shifted on their feet and slowly backed away as the cloud reached the edge of the cliff and finally came into full view.

When the dust settled, a motorcycle was revealed, though none like the boys had ever seen. For one, it was made entirely out of old parts - all of it was speckled with rust, though no disturbing noises came out of the engine. For another, instead of wheels, there were rings of what looked like snow treads in the front and back; there was probably some deeper technology to it that had allowed it to scale the cliff.

All in all, it was impressive.

But not as impressive as the people on the bike.

There were two on the seat - the first was clearly a human and the second was clearly a robot, though their position against the Sun made it hard for the boys to discern any other details. That is, other than the fact that the robot had glowing green eyes.

"Welcome to the First Realm," The human drawled from under the shadow of their face.

"Uh...who are you?" Orochi spoke up, hiding behind a disgruntled Xander.

"We are..." The human spoke again, slowly moving their head up. All of a sudden, they whipped up from the bike seat and displayed themself fully, revealing a girl with pure white skin, raven black hair tied up in a ponytail, heterochromia black and red eyes, and a smile that rivaled the Sun. "YOUR BIGGEST FANS!!"

Suddenly, the girl was all over them, poking at their bodies and closely examining their hair. "Oh my Firstbourne," She exclaimed, hugging Quon. "PIXAL has been sending me SO many messages about you guys," She yelled, examining Xander's arms. "And I have been DYING to meet you in person," She screamed, bringing her face close to Daigo's to get a look at his eyes. "I just gotta say, you guys are a LOT CUTER IN PERSON!!"

Then she stopped in her mini rampage and whipped her head around to Valt, startling the blue porcupine. "Wait, wait, is it true? IS IT?" She exclaimed, rushing over to him. Before the poor boy could blink, she'd torn the yellow headband from his head, making his blue hair fall into his eyes. Valt was slightly annoyed at the attention, but the girl only gasped dramatically. "It IS!! Your headband DOES controls your HAIR FLOW!!" Laughing joyfully, she repeatedly jammed his headband on and off his head, making it wave like a hairy tide.

Shu growled and stepped forward to make sure his boyfriend was alright, but PIXAL beat him to the punch. "Inga," She told the girl firmly, making her freeze in the middle of taking Valt's headband off. "Your enthusiasm isn't unwanted, but I don't think scaring those you work for is a very good first impression."

The girl, Inga, stared at her comprehensively. Her mouth dropped into a small O shape as her multicolored eyes roamed the faces of those around her, taking in their blatantly surprised faces. She finally seemed to realize that what she was doing was an invasion of personal space and her face broke out into a sheepish smile. "Sorry," She amended, putting Valt's headband back on his head and leaving it there. "I saw a portal open over here and I assumed it was PIXAL, so OF COURSE I rushed right over because it had been SO LONG since I had last seen her..." As she spoke, she moved to take her place by the Nindroid's side. "But when I saw that you guys were also here with her - THE Elemental Masters - I just got so excited and just HAD to meet you guys up close! Not just because you guys are, like, SUPER POWERFUL - it's always refreshing to meet new faces when you live around the same people everyday!"

The boys were quiet for a minute, giving themselves time to adjust to the new, boisterous presence. "Hold on, hold on..." Lui finally spoke up, holding up his hands. "Did you say this nut job works for us? OWW - HEY!!"

Daigo had slapped the back of his head. "Sorry about him," He told Inga.

She only smiled brighter. "It's fine," She replied happily. "I get called a nut job all the time." She coughed nervously. "Mostly by my sister."

PIXAL grinned and placed her hand on the raven haired girl's shoulder. "To answer Lui's question, yes - in a way, this young lady does work for us! This is Inga - our head mechanic."

Honcho blinked dumbly. "We have a head mechanic?" He asked in a monotone.

"Yup!" Inga told him, puffing her chest out with pride. "That's me!" Now that she wasn't bustling around the boys like a bumblebee, they could take her in fully. The top of her head was crowned with a set of heavy metal goggles, which jostled wildly as her head swung between faces. She wore a dusty orange t-shirt with frayed sleeves and black pants that looked even more worn. Even though she wasn't in the workshop at the moment, she still wore a stained brown apron that covered her front and looped around her neck and midsection; heavy duty gloves and boots topped it all off. She looked every bit the mad mechanic.

Her white face turned thoughtful and she turned back to the robot, which hadn't moved from the bike. "Oh, but my little brother Uno helps, too!"

Having been addressed, the robot finally removed itself from the bike. Goldenrod toned bulbous joints topped every angle that moved, which made subtle creaking noises as it walked towards the group. Light gray rods made up its appendages and triple sectioned fingers tipped what looked like its hands. Glowing green lightbulbs made up its eye sockets while everything else was decked out in tones of harvest gold.

"Greetings," The robot, Uno, told them, bowing at its midsection respectively.

Once again, the boys were quiet as they digested this new appearance. "So...everyone in the First Realm has robots as siblings?" Lui once again grouched. This time, both Daigo and Ken slapped the back of his head. "OWW!!"

Inga did take slight offense this time. "He's not a robot!" She exclaimed, hugging said being close; Uno himself didn't show any emotion at the comment. "He's my little brother! I mean sure, he's made of metal, but he's family all the same!"

"You'll have to forgive Lui, Inga," PIXAL told her soothingly. "His mouth moves faster than his brain." She turned back to the group to explain, ignoring Lui's furious look. "Inga's father is the head mechanic of Wu's Pride. When Inga was appointed the head mechanic to the Elemental Masters, I took notice of the rapidly growing mechanic industry of the First Realm and suggested to her father that he build a fleet of androids to further assist the people. Uno and all the other android were built with the basics of my programming; he was the first off the line."

"Oh, so that's why you're called Uno," Boa, the Spanish speaker, deduced.

"Yeah, but what's-" Yugo spoke up, gesturing to the small lettering on the left side of UNO's chest. "FRAM 1?"

"Oh, that is technically my real name," Uno replied helpfully. "My given name is First Realm Android Mechanic number 1 - or, as the acronym implies, FRAM 1."

"But that sounded weird and rude to call someone by," Inga added, slinging an arm around her "brother's" shoulder. "So I decided to call him Uno!"

"And that has been my name ever since," Uno agreed; this time, he looked at Inga with what looked like a tender glance.

Inga beamed at him before turning her attention back to PIXAL. "So, Pix - what brings you to Wu's Pride?" She asked her.

"I figured it was time that the boys' training got introduced to the unique fighting styles of the city folk," PIXAL explained to her. "Starting today, you'll be seeing them a lot more often."

Inga let loose an ear splitting squeal that sent Uno's eyes glitching and Orochi covering his sensitive ears. "HOW EXCITING!!" She exclaimed, waving her hands around in her excitement. "You guys are going to ABSOLUTELY LOVE Wu's Pride, I guarantee!!" Her eyes widened and she whipped back to PIXAL. "Wait - can I show them the workshop? Can I? Can I? Can I?"

PIXAL looked conflicted. "Well, I'd planned on introducing them to a few of the fighters in the city first," She admitted slowly. "Perhaps your cousin."

Inga wouldn't let it go, though. She got on her knees and begged, "PLEEEEEEEEEAAAASSSSE? You can visit Billy any other day - he doesn't have a social life!" The other boys + Uno just looked between her and PIXAL helplessly.

PIXAL gave the begging Inga a long look, then sighed. "Very well - at the very least, it'll give them a look into the First Realm's mechanical industry."

Inga leapt off the ground in celebration so fast, she was practically floating in the air. "YEEESSSS!!" She turned back to the boys. "WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN!!"

The boys all gave her strained smiles, still unused to her loud personality. "Uhhh, quick question..." Quon spoke up, casting a nervous glance towards the cliff. "Is there another way down? You know, one that doesn't involve us breaking our skulls open?"

—————

In the end, it took about 11 trips for Inga to go up and down the cliff face on her bike with at least two of the group in tow, PIXAL and Uno being the last ones she took. Then it took about 20 minutes for them to walk from the cliff to the city, Inga and Uno leading them with the bike going at a much slower pace than when they had went to meet up with them. By the time  they reached the outskirts of Wu's Pride, PIXAL was the only one who wasn't sweaty or breathing heavy.

It took another five minutes for them to reach Inga's workplace; like when they first came to Ninjago, they went to great pains to stick to the shadows as to not cause a public uproar. At this point, though, they just wanted to find some shade.

The workshop was near the center of the city, which made it especially hard for them to simply waltz in unnoticed. They had to resort to letting Inga and Uno go first so they could open the doors for them, then wait for a large vehicle to come by so they could hide behind it as it made its way past the workshop, and jump out when it was close enough.

"This is humiliating," Wakiya grouched the entire time. "If we're spotted, it would be a horrible first impression in a new realm."

"Just keep sneaking and watch your back, Goldilocks," Honcho told him, pushing his back slightly.

Once inside the workshop, they were thrusted into an entire new world - one made entirely of metal. Tools of varying sizes were displayed on the walls, though they were mostly strewn along the floor and along large wooden tables. Clusters of wires and sheets of metal were laying everywhere, almost like Inga couldn't decide where to do what. A gigantic furnace burned in the center of the room, lined on either side with huge tongs for melding; it made the air even more insufferable. Large chains with sturdy looking hooks at the ends hung from the ceiling, some with hunks of metal dangling from the hooks.

But what stuck out the most about it was the vehicles. The workspace was in no way small, and that showed in just how many vehicles it currently held. Rows upon rows of vehicles lined the room, some large, some small, some land based, some built for rough terrain. And they weren't entirely new, either - a closer inspection revealed that some of the metal had specs of rust on them, though the welding and screws were shining in from the light of the furnace.

"WELCOME to my humble abode!" Inga greeted them, dramatically lounging on the hood of what appeared to be a mountain buggy. Uno stood next to the vehicle, looking every bit the assistant.

Ukyo snorted. "Nothing really humble about it," He noted, taking in the large space.

"Yeah, this is AWESOME!" Cuza exclaimed. Wanting a better perspective of the workshop, he scaled the side of what looked like a troop transporter and grabbed the nearest hook, swinging himself higher to get a better view. "It's even bigger from up here!" He informed the others.

"Yes, this is quite the impressive display, Inga," PIXAL commended the young mechanic. "It seems as though everyone in the First Realm relies on your improved vehicles." She cast her a concerned look. "Are you doing alright overall?"

Inga simply laughed. "I'm doing a-okay, Pix!" She assured. "Business is booming, and between Uno and me, working on these babies is a breeze!" She gave both her brother and the buggy she was sitting on an affectionate pat.

"New vehicles?" Wakiya said snidely from the corner from where he was inspecting a supposed water craft. "Everything is speckled with rust! How do we know these won't combust the second you start the engine?"

Inga looked over at him and swung her legs gracefully off the buggy. "That's because they're technically old vehicles," She informed him, striding over. "I've just scrubbed them down and tuned up the engines - maybe add a few perks of my own here and there."

Wakiya gave her a side look. "What's the point in that?" He asked her, thinking of his garage back home, filled with all the top-end vehicles. "Why don't you just strip them down and start from scratch?"

Inga made a repulsed look, the only negative look she'd had in her eyes since the boys met her, but it melted into one of tender love as she stroked the surface of the craft. "Because they're not junk, as some people think," She told him firmly. "They're still good vehicles - they just need a little love to get them going."

Her affection for the old vehicles took the boys by surprise. She was surely an interesting one, that Inga.

Some of them were apparently so surprised by Inga's affection that they stopped watching where they were going. Boa was too busy watching Inga that he walked right into a tower of metal barrels, causing them to topple and fall with a resounding CRASH. The boys jumped out of the way and on top of vehicles as they raced to outrun the runaway barrels. When the noise faded and the barrels stopped rolling, they all glared towards the Mexican. "BOA!!"

The poor boy's face went beet red. "Sorry, sorry," He yelled as he put his hands on a barrel. "I-I'll clean this up." The barrels were apparently heavier than they appeared, though, so it took a moment before he was able to get it right side up. He puffed for a second before moving onto the next one.

Inga beat him to it, smiling broadly. "Don't worry about it, bud!" She told him warmly, once again taking him by surprise. "Happens all the time - why, if I had a copper for every time I knocked over a stack of something or other, I'd have enough to open an even bigger work place!"

"It's true..." Uno admitted, sounding exhausted at the fact.

Boa had lifted the barrels with a lot of sweat and breathing, but the boys were floored when Inga took the barrel he'd been about to stack in one arm and moved to take another one without pausing in her stride. Xander, sensing a challenge, moved to take a barrel in order to test its weight. To his surprise, it took nearly everything he had just to get it over his shoulder. Inga had to walk over and get it from him, whistling a merry tune as she walked it back over to the stack.

"Geez, dude!" Honcho called out approvingly. "Just how strong are you?"

"Oh, not much stronger than the average First Realmer," Inga replied vaguely, choosing to keep her attention on the barrels. "I work with metals all day, so I'm slightly stronger in the arms and legs."

"Slightly...?" Xander whispered dejectedly.

"Yes - the waters in the First Realm have a substantial amount of calcium in them," PIXAL informed them helpfully. "A cup has about three times the amount of calcium that your average gallon of milk contains. Having been drinking the water their whole lives, First Realmers have a substantial amount of bone strength."

"Do you know the saying : the house don't fall if the bones are good?" Inga asked the boys, standing next to the now stacked barrels. "Well, that's true for us! Since our bones are strong, the rest comes easily!" She flexed her arm and grinned brightly; it paled in comparison to Xander's glower, though.

Before anyone could comment, a crash came from outside the workshop, followed by the muffled sound of a woman screaming angrily. When a second feminine voice joined the first, Inga, Uno, and PIXAL all shared a wince. "Not again..." Inga muttered in vain. She excused herself and quickly left through the door.

The boys all had the same expressions of confusion and exasperation. Who would they meet next?

There was a slight downfall in the commotion as Inga's voice joined the others, then it started up with a new energy. Based on the sounds, the boys were curious as to what was happening, but they were smart enough to stay where they were and not get involved. Their curiosity was peaked, however, when they clearly heard Inga yell, "YOU BROKE HER WINDOW, NOW APOLOGIZE!!"

The argument dwindled off after that, and Inga eventually came back through the door with a girl half a head shorter than her in tow. "Sorry about that," Inga said sheepishly, though she sounded as chipper as ever. "Meet my sister, Rose!"

Though the name was pretty and delicate, the girl was anything but. Her eyes were a daring red, almost as if they were trying to make up for the lack of color in her black hair, which was done up in two fluffy pigtails. A set of similar red colored goggles say on top of her head and a heavy looking black cloth mask hung around her neck. Her entire body was clothed in a skin tight gray jumpsuit with black highlights; it stretched all the way to her fingers. Heavy duty black boots covered her feet and made a clunking noise as she walked.

But what was truly terrifying about her was the pack that was strapped to her back. The same vivid red as her eyes and goggles, it was accented with a barrage of buttons and dials. It was secured around her waist and shoulders by brown straps that were equipped with buckles for comfort. Along its right side was a long silver rod with an open cup at the end; it was connected to the pack via a long black tube.

A flamethrower.

"Just to clarify," Rose spoke up by way of greeting. "I'm her adopted sister."

"And thank Firstbourne for that," Uno muttered low enough so Rose couldn't hear him.

Inga was pouting. "C'mon, sis! Why do you have to say that to everyone we meet?" She asked the smaller girl.

Rose gave her a bored look. "'Cause I don't know if you've noticed, sis, but people tend to get confused when you say you and I are related."

"Gee, I wonder why," Inga said sarcastically. "Maybe it's because I don't BREAK OTHER PEOPLE'S WINDOWS?"

Rose bared her teeth. "IT WAS ALREADY CRACKED - I DON'T SEE WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS!!" She burst.

"If it makes you feel any better, we wouldn't be able to tell the difference," Fubuki told her sheepishly. "Everyone in the First Realm looks the same!"

"Same white skin, same black hair, same red or black eyes," Quon added. "It's a wonder y'all aren't vampires."

Inga rolled her black/red eyes, as if to say yeah, heard that one before. "Rose, these are the people I work for," She told her sister seriously. "And they're going to be coming around here a lot more often, so BE NICE to them when you do."

Rose immediately perked up. "Oh, these are your bosses?" She asked. Before Inga could stop her, she'd marched up to PIXAL gave her a stone cold serious look. "Go easy on my sister, or I'll melt you down for parts," She said fiercely, shocking those around her.

"Oddly frisky for a girl in pigtails," Honcho told Valt out of the corner of his mouth.

Unfortunately for him, Rose heard that one.

In the time it took him to blink, Honcho had the barrel of a flamethrower pointed directly at his nose with a tiny red heart already beating at the bottom. "The fuck you say to ME, you piece of SHIT?" Rose bellowed at him, spit flying. In the light of her flamethrower, her eyes became molten lava and her pigtails turned into dark fireballs.

As Honcho cowered, Inga gently pulled Rose away and put a hand on her flamethrower to lower it. "I'm sure he didn't mean it, Rosey," She said soothingly. "Now, take this-" She held out a rubber bag that was protruding oddly. "And go calm down before you go on a rampage...again."

Rose's eyes lit up with a different light and she snatched the bag. "Thanks, sis - you're the best!" She told Inga gratefully. Shooting the boys another grating look, she sped out the door.

The boys watched her go in confusion. "What was in the bag?" Ren Wu asked.

"Yeah, whatever it was calmed her down like-" Orochi snapped his fingers. "That."

"Shards of metal and glass," Uno said simply.

The others stared at him for a second before turning back to Inga. "No, seriously - what was in the bag?" Free asked.

Inga giggled. "Actually, it WAS metal and glass. I don't know why, but Rose has a hobby of collecting pieces of glass and metal all over the city, then disappearing for hours on end." She shifted on her feet nervously. "And, uh...sometimes she takes the glass shards when they're still attached to the frame."

"Oh, so that's why she was manhandling that window," Quon deduced.

Inga nodded tiredly. "She never tells me what she does with the shards, but when she comes back, she's always calmer. So I find shards for her to help her calm down." She looked up at them curiously. "So...what do you think of Rose?"

Everyone groaned. "She's...an interesting one," Cuza admitted, leaning against a bike.

"Especially for a girl in pigtails," Honcho added quietly.

PIXAL smiled her infuriating smile. "Well boys, you better brace yourselves," She told them. "Things are only going to get more interesting from here on out."

—————

Rose glanced cautiously around her. Once she was certain no one was watching her, she sat down and took out the bag Inga had given her while simultaneously taking out her secret stash. Her sister knew her well - glass shards were at the top while metal shards were at the bottom. She separated the glass shards onto a metal pot, then unlatched her flamethrower from her pack. At the last minute, she pulled her mask over her nose and her goggles over her eyes.

A quick heating, then a metal rod to take the gloppy mess out. With a couple of prongs, a pull here, a push there, then straight into a water pot. Same process with the metal, which also ended up in the water. When both had stopped steaming, she pulled back the tarp covering her creation and placed the newest additions in their respective places. Once it was done, Rose sighed.

"One day, my sweet," She promised her pride and joy, casting a longing gaze over what she had created. "One day you'll be ready, and the public will see you for what you truly are." With that, she let the tarp fall.

—————

5607 words.

I ignored two assignments to finish this chapter...

And I feel NO GUILT, because I FINALLY have more than one OC!

Let me know what you guys think. I'll be posting their character sheets in my OC book pretty soon!