Two full weeks had passed since the new group first started their training at the Monastery, and after Boa asked for a change, PIXAL started to throw in a few new lessons here and there. Every boy came to training ecstatic to see what the day's activities would entail, and that day was going to be no different. The air was filled with the sound of quick-paced steps against stone and excited chatting as the new training day began.

It quickly died down as soon as they walked through the doors.

PIXAL was wearing her purple kimono and a brown leather knapsack around her shoulder. Valt stood next to her wearing his blue training gi. It appeared that this time, PIXAL had decided to indulge him in the day's agenda, for his eyes were bright and sparkling. He only got more impatient as the group grew closer, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Uhhh, what gives?" Lui asked as the remainder of the team stopped before them, finding the blue haired boy's excitement slightly alarming. Whatever made Valt happy could either be considered fun or weird, depending on who you asked.

"It's come to my attention that I haven't been showing my face around the workplace as often as I should," PIXAL began vaguely.

"We see you here everyday," Cuza pointed out, one of his triangular eyebrows raised. "It's not like you can take a sick day."

PIXAL smiled mysteriously. "Not this workplace," She said, pausing for effect. "My other workplace."

The group just looked at each other, searching for somebody with some explanation - how many workplaces could this Nindroid possibly have?

When no one had an answer as to what PIXAL was talking about, Valt suddenly burst out, unable to keep the secret, "STEEPER WISDOM!! WE'RE GOING TO STEEPER WISDOM!!"

PIXAL's mystery-holding expression turned into one of disappointment. "I wanted to tell them!" She reprimanded Valt, elbowing him in his side. "You stole my thunder!"

Valt grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Pix," He admitted. "I'm just so pumped for this!"

"Gee, I couldn't tell," PIXAL said blandly, watching as her student continued to rock up and down. When he didn't show signs of stopping, she reached out and firmly placed her shiny hand on his shoulder to forcibly keep him still. He flashed her another sheepish smile, to which she only rolled her eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait," Boa broke in, stepping forward. Wonder shown in his emerald eyes as he realized what they had said. "Steeper Wisdom? We're going to the tea shop? We're going to Ninjago?"

PIXAL faced him and regained her smile. "Yes." Excited whispers broke out at her affirmation. "I figured that, since it was about time that I show my face around the tea shop again, and you're all here for a lesson, I would kill two birds with one stone. Today for the lesson, I'll show you Steeper Wisdom and teach you a little bit about how to work there."

"So for today's lesson," Jin spoke up, his tired mustard yellow eyes full of apprehension. "We're going to be...working?"

The murmurs fizzled out at the realization, 19 pairs of eyes slowly swerving to stare at PIXAL. Valt, not liking the mistrust in their eyes, leapt to defend his teacher. "Hey, don't be like that, guys!" He demanded, posed defiantly in front of PIXAL. "It's really fun to work in the tea shop! You get to meet a lot of new people, and the assistant manager Dani is really nice! You get to sneak samples of yummy teas and cakes-"

"Wait, what? No you don't! Those are mainly for the customers!" PIXAL broke in. "Valt, have you been sampling the merchandise behind my back?"

Valt sweat dropped and peered at PIXAL stiffly over his shoulder. "No..."

PIXAL rolled her eyes again and shook her head in exasperation. "Bottom line is," She said firmly. "It's good practice in socializing with the Ninjago public; which is going to be a useful skill, since you're going to be spending a lot of time in the city. It gives you an insight into life in Ninjago, as well as teach you a little bit about the inter workings of a business. And besides-" She added quickly. "Pretty much all of your parents and grandparents have worked there; it's a family tradition."

All the boys blinked. "Wait - how would we get there?" Fubuki piped up. "You said it was in Ninjago, right?"

PIXAL smiled and Valt's excitement came back full force. "That's half the fun," PIXAL informed him. "To get there-"

"WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PORTAL MADE FROM A SHARD OF THE REALM CRYSTAL!" Valt exploded.

"Just once," PIXAL growled in his ear, pinching the top of his lobe teasingly. "Can you let me have the thunder just once?"

"Sorry," Valt said apologetically.

The boys erupted in excited outbursts; even Lui's usual furious expression changed to one of interest. "A portal?" Naoki asked, practically throwing his teammates out of the way in order to get to the Nindroid. "How would you make such a thing? With what device? Oh, if you have a device that creates portals, I simply must see it!"

"Patience, Naoki," PIXAL told him with a chuckle, her hand raised. "First I have to make sure that everyone is on board with this." She peered over his shoulder and was delighted to see that every one of the boys were nodding their heads, eager to get on with it.

Well, almost every one.

"Count me out," Free sighed, stretching slightly as he yawned. "If it's work, I'm not the man for the job. I'll just wait for you guys here." He left his place in the group and dropped his bag against the Monastery wall, slumping down next to it while his teammates just stared on in shock.

"He's really passing up going through an honest-to-God portal?" Naoki asked, looking blasphemed. "Not even to view what another world is like?"

"It's Free; I'm honestly not surprised," Honcho told him, having known the Fafnir blader longer. "If it involves anything he deems 'boring' or 'a waste of his time', he's out."

"What's PIXAL going to say about this?" Ren Wu asked worriedly, remembering his own mutiny. His back still hurt from the incident.

At his question, everyone turned to watch the white Nindroid, who had remained quiet during Free's proclamation of uninterest. Then she spoke up - firmly, but politely, "I'm sorry that you're less than pleased with the day's agenda, Free. However, seeing as you are already here, it would be pointless to exclude you from today's lesson."

Free's eyes popped open and he stared at PIXAL with his mouth slightly open. Everyone around them had similar expressions of shock. As long as anyone had known him, no one had objected to his frequent naps; not even Kristina Kuroda, the owner of BC Sol and the person who had known him for the longest, had ever dared to tell him otherwise.

After a few moments of stunned silence, Free's black eyes narrowed. "You said that we weren't obligated to every lesson," He reminded PIXAL stiffly. "You said it was fine if we skipped a lesson. Well, I'm choosing to sit this one out!"

"Actually, Free," PIXAL responded just as stiffly, making her way through the group; they practically leapt out of her way. "I believe that my exact words on Orientation Day were that you could miss a lesson if you had probable cause to do so." Now she stood in front of him, literally staring him down. "And I'm sorry to inform you that being a lazy bum isn't probable cause."

OOOOOOOOOHHH, went a few of the boys.

Free, now remembering her words from that day, fumbled with his words. When he couldn't come up with any, he scoffed and turned on his side against the wall, closing his eyes. "Well, I'm just gonna stay here, thanks," He said bitterly. "You guys can go on without me."

PIXAL only stared at his lounging form. "If the crying child does not want to go to school," She said lowly, confusing the boys and further irritating Free. "Then the exasperated parent will take them there by force."

Then to everyone's horror, she picked up Free. No hesitation, no warning. Just up and over her shoulder in a fireman-style carry, like he weighed no more than a feather.

"W-WHAT THE HELL?!" Free yelled, his black eyes as wide as saucers as he struggled in PIXAL's hold. "PUT ME DOWN, YA PSYCHO!!" He flailed his fists against her hold, but his skin and bones just bounced harmlessly off of her metallic exterior.

"I cannot do that," PIXAL said plainly, swiftly walking away from the spot he had formerly been laying in. "You're here and you don't have good cause to skip, so you might as well come with us."

"I TOLD YOU I WOULD SIT THIS ONE OUT!! AND WHY DOES YOUR BODY HAVE TO BE SO HARD?!"

The group started to laugh as PIXAL walked past them. It was honestly kind of hard not to. It was quite a sight - one of the strongest bladers in the world slung over a woman's shoulder like a sack of potatoes, regardless that she wasn't human. The more polite ones transformed their chuckles into coughs behind their fists while the less polite ones shook on their feet with laughter.

"Oh, you don't see that everyday!" Honcho gasped, wiping tears from his eyes, his lollipop dangling dangerously close to the edge of his lips.

"I wish I had popcorn to watch this with!" Lui wheezed, holding his stomach.

"Hey, Free! How's the view from there?" Kit asked breathlessly, unable to reign in his bursts.

The blonde's face turned as red as his red streak, veins starting to pop in his neck. "SHUT UP!!" He screamed, starting to get hysterical. "PIXAL, LET ME DOWN!!"

"Of course," PIXAL told him nonchalantly. "As soon as we're in Ninjago!" She stood with her back to the group and shook her free arm to roll up her kimono sleeve. On her forearm was a dark metal device strapped snuggly to her white exterior, adorned with a small sky blue gem shard in a special holster; it seemed to glow with its own light. PIXAL balanced Free on her shoulder and pressed a series of buttons along the side of the device, then held her arm straight out in front of her, the shard glowing brighter as she did so. A section of the machine separated and flipped to the point that it was balanced along her wrist; faint whirring filled the air, and a small turquoise circle appeared in the air in front of her. As it grew larger and deeper, the inner edges each became a shade darker until the center was a deep navy blue. Now it was a swirling blue tempest in midair.

Even Free stopped his struggling to take in the spectacle. Everything about it screamed wrong wrong wrong. It was a rip in time and space; it was a bridge between every world imaginable. It defied every law of science ever established.

And it came out of one device.

"Uhhh...PIXAL?" Naoki asked slowly, sidling up to her while eyeing the wondrous device. "Do you mind if I...take that apart? I mean, as a Master, I'm obligated to know how it works..." His hand snaked towards the dark machine.

"Maybe later, Naoki," PIXAL told him, deftly standing one foot while she pushed the greedy scientist away with her thigh. With her free hand - the one with the device strapped to it - she beckoned to the other boys. "Hurry through, everyone! Portals like these don't last for very long."

Valt didn't need to be told twice - he was in and through the portal before PIXAL even finished her sentence. After dumping their packs, the rest of the boys followed, each pausing a split second before going through. Naoki took the longest out of all of them; he wanted to savor every moment of this scientific wonder, taking in every blue wisp and contemplating every sensation he felt as he stepped closer. Quon, who was behind him, eventually had to say "Seriously, dude?" and push him through before following himself. PIXAL, having stayed behind to make sure everyone went through, checked that Free was still resting comfortably (though begrudgingly) on her shoulder, then stepped through herself.

It was like stepping through a thin lukewarm waterfall. Each boy had a brief sensation of floating, then consequently vertigo and nausea. Then they stepped onto a brilliant green hill.

That overlooked a city very unlike their own.

The skyline hadn't changed much; Borg Tower was still the centerpiece while smaller skyscrapers competed for second place. Though before his death, Cyrus Borg had perfected his projects, and they become a part of everyday life. Everywhere they looked, the boys saw evidence of a great mind. Floating vehicles zipped down streets, holographic signs floated above store fronts, electric billboards crowned several buildings, and people's faces were smudges of white-blue from the light from their holographic watches and phones.

Ninjago City.

Quite literally the city of the future.

Most of the boys were stunned into speechless while Naoki was nearly comatose on his feet. He acted as if he was a mortal viewing heaven for the first time, his eyes wide and trying to get wider in order to take everything in. He was still enough that those around him eventually took notice.

"Is he okay?" Xander asked, waving his hand in front of the turquoise haired boy's face.

"I don't hear any sound coming from him," Orochi said nervously, backing away slowly. "Not even a heartbeat."

"Valt, is he dead?" Kit asked his brother figure.

"I don't think so," Valt told him, though his expression was also one of concern. "At least, I hope he's not."

Only Jin seemed unfazed. "Relax, he gets like this whenever he sees something scientific," He informed his teammates. He came up to the scientist, looked him over...then placed a firm pinch on his butt.

Naoki jerked at the contact, then immediately zoomed out of Jin's touch and just about tackled PIXAL, Free teetering dangerously in her grip. "I HAVE TO SEE EVERY CELL PHONE TOWER AND MOTHERBOARD IN THIS CITY!!" He yelled, nearly hysterical in the face of such awesome technology.

PIXAL gently yet awkwardly pushed the orange eyed boy away and then gingerly set Free down. "Add that to the list of things to do later, Naoki," She told him, much to his disappointment. With nimble fingers, she unstrapped the portal device from her arm and placed it securely in her knapsack. "Right now, we have to get to the tea shop before the lunch rush."

"W-wait, what?" Wakiya sputtered, suddenly very self-conscious about his appearance. "We're supposed to walk through the city in these?" He pinched the front of his red and white gi in disgust.

"He's got a point, Pix," Valt admitted, facing his teacher. "Why didn't you set the portal to spit us out at least a block away from Steeper Wisdom? With these colors on us, we're sure to be swarmed by paparazzi."

PIXAL smirked at him. "And deny them of this view?" She asked, sweeping her arm towards the fabulous horizon. "Such things simply cannot be put off. Don't worry," She said to his scowling face. "We'll take the back roads and stay out of sight from the public. It's about time we put your natural ninja skills to the test."

So they descended the hill and slipped into the streets of Ninjago. They took great pains to stick to the various alleys and long shadows, PIXAL instructing them on how to keep their heads down and their footsteps light. They were almost to the tea shop when Shu caught sight of something glimmering in the distance. "Hey, PIXAL," He spoke up, partially hiding behind a corner to stay out of view of the public. "What's that?"

PIXAL looked where he was looking and her expression darkened. It was smaller to the eye because it was farther away, but up close, it was a 5''10 (I had to look this up) statue made out of pure gold on top of a 10 foot tall glass pedestal. It was of a man with his head bowed, dressed in scarred armor with an equally scarred sword held high and straight in his hand - the picture of a hero who had won the battle.

"That is the Lloyd Garmadon Memorial," PIXAL told Shu gravely.

"My ancestor..." Shu breathed in amazement, gazing at the statue with new reverence. "How exactly did he die? I still don't know all the details."

"Let's add that story to the list of things to be done later," PIXAL repeated to him, then stretched her hand out to the albino. "Come; the tea shop will run out of tea if we don't hurry." Shu took one last look at the golden statue, then allowed himself to be lead away by the Nindroid.

Finally, after about 20 minutes of avoiding the public and a close encounter with an overzealous alley cat - to which Yugo promptly yeeted down an adjoining alley - they arrived at Steeper Wisdom. It was the only store front on the block that hadn't embraced the Age of Technology - it relied on an old school wooden billboard and a hand painted mural of a man accepting a cup of tea from a spirit that looked like the late Master Wu on one of the brick walls to advertise the merchandise instead of holograms. Yet despite its reputation of being one of the older shops in Ninjago, everything about its outside seemed new. The windows were sparkling and the paint on both the billboard and mural were bright.

"This is Steeper Wisdom?" Wakiya skeptically asked, ever the rich boy. His cold blue eyes looked the storefront up and down while comparing it to the surrounding areas. "It doesn't look like it's lived up to the times."

"That's part of the reason why it's so popular, Wakiya," PIXAL informed the blonde. "People come to escape from the hustle and bustle of the tech-filled streets of the city; they come for the authenticity of an age that many have forgotten."

"The other part is because each Master generation has worked here; we have a pretty big fan base," Valt added, earning another elbow from PIXAL.

"I don't see why anyone would want to leave all that beautiful technology," Naoki said, casting a longing look towards the main streets that were bathed in the glow from the surrounding electronics.

"Not everyone likes to be around computers all the time, Naoki," Jin told him in a tired voice, earning a glare from the scientist.

PIXAL shepherded her students around to the side of the tea shop to a nondescript door, explaining that it lead to the kitchen and it would keep them from being swarmed. She opened it up and gestured for them all to enter, making sure they all did so before she entered and closed it behind her. Once inside, the boys found them surrounded by bags of every tea leaf imaginable - earl grey, green tea, even oolong. Among the bags were also dozens of tea maker machines, all of the highest quality; just because Steeper Wisdom was authentic in appearance, it didn't mean it didn't had to be authentic in merchandise. There were also ingredients and machinery used for baking - flour, sugar, refrigerators, and ovens.

Then there was the aroma. The air was filled with the warm scents of several baked pastries and brewing teas. Some were coming from the countertops while others were coming from ovens or brewers. Several of the boys took deep breaths of the sweet aroma and smiled in contentment.

"PIXAL? Can I eat this?" Ken asked, his hands dangerously close to a tray of chocolate cake pops.

"No way, Jose!" Came a voice that was not PIXAL's. Before anyone could blink, there was a black sledgehammer with a glossy brown handle smacking the countertop just centimeters away from Ken's fingers. He pulled his hand away with a yelp and backed away to safety behind Xander.

Twenty pairs of eyes raced to take in a young woman who seemed to just appear out of thin air. She was wearing a creamy orange shirt and deep turquoise jeans that were partially covered by a citrus-dyed apron. Worn brown sneakers clothed feet that were in a boxing stance that seemed as natural as breathing. Draped over one shoulder was a ponytail of deep brown hair that curled gracefully over tan skin stretched tight with the might of stone hard muscles. The woman couldn't have been older than 18.

She was beautiful, but what was most captivating about her was her brown eyes. They seemed alight with their own inner fire, as if they could singe a person with a single glance.

"Sorry about that, kiddo," The mysterious woman told Ken, removing her hammer from the countertop and slipping it into the folds of her apron. "Those cake pops are for the customers, and I think they would appreciate if their orders came to them without bite marks."

"I-it's o-kay," Ken whimpered, only retreating further behind Xander. The boys all looked straight up terrified or at least cautious of the woman. All of them, except one.

"Dani!" Valt exclaimed, running forward and wrapping his thin arms around the older lady's muscular torso. "I missed you so much," He squealed as he nestled his blue hair against her chest.

The groups' jaws did a collective drop as the woman laughed deeply. "I missed you too, Squirt!" She told the small Master of Lightning, ruffling his hair. "It's been, what, over a month? And you still haven't grown?" She let loose again as Valt pouted against her lean body.

"W-wait," Shu spoke up, feeling a little jealous. "She's Dani?"

Giggling slightly, PIXAL stepped forward and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Yes; this is Danielle, my assistant manager here at Steeper Wisdom," She informed the group.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Danielle said, inclining her head - she couldn't bow properly, for Valt was still attached to her. "From now on, you can refer to me as your workplace Mama Bear!" She turned to PIXAL. "Is this their official first day of work?"

PIXAL nodded. "It's a trial run - after today, they get to decide if they want to work here or not," She emphasized, looking between Danielle and the boys to imply to them that her her words were true.

"Perfect!" Danielle beamed, gently pushing Valt away and approaching the boys. "A lot of our staff is out today, so you can fill in their places! Lunch rush is coming up within the next hour-" She gestured to a clock on the wall. "And we get pretty busy around then, so it's best that we restock our merchandise as frequently as possible." She gestured again; this time to a cluster of hooks bearing aprons on the wall. "Put one of those on and get going!" With that, she whipped around and checked the tea in one of the brewers.

Each of the boys froze in shock; Valt and PIXAL only complied and plucked two aprons off their hooks. Thrust into work, just like that? No training, no baby steps, nothing? Even Lui looked flabbergasted.

"Uh, uhm...Dani?" Ren Wu spoke up, but the fellow brunette only whipped around on him.

"Hold it right there, buddy boy!" She bellowed, pointing a taunt finger at him. "Only my friends call me Dani; I don't know any of you - well, besides Valty - that well yet, so y'all can just call me Danielle for now!"

Ren Wu looked taken aback by her abruptness. "O-okay, Danielle," He amended. "Aren't you going to train us first?"

"Ironic, coming from him," Ukyo told Yugo loudly behind his hand, who snickered. The navy eyed boy scowled.

"Don't worry - several staff members are already here, so they can show you guys the ropes. Besides, Valt and PIXAL are also here - they can alert you when you mess up. Treat each pastry and tea as a station; switch every once in a while if you feel like it. Most important thing: WORK AS A TEAM!" She finished with a thumbs up, then disappeared behind a beaded curtain that presumably lead to the dining room.

The group was left blinking after her. "Okay, seriously...are you sure you're the manager?" Cuza asked PIXAL.

"Sometimes it's hard for even me to believe it," PIXAL admitted sheepishly, tying her apron behind her back while simultaneously setting her knapsack down. "Dani may seem bossy-"

"Understatement of the year," Honcho grumbled, selecting his own apron.

"Yeah...if this what you consider 'bossy', I'd hate to see what you call a tyrant," Daigo agreed, looking over the remaining collection for an apron for himself.

"As I was saying," PIXAL said, silencing the rest of their retorts. "She may seem like she cares only about the job, but she actually has a big heart." As she spoke, she poured tea from a ready brewer into small ceramic cups. "In fact, we have a concept here called 'the Companion's Special'; if a person that is economically troubled or homeless comes in here, they get a large tea and pastry of their choice - free of charge!"

Shu looked up from where Valt was helping him tie his apron. "Really? That's so nice," He admitted. "But what does that have to do with Dani?"

"I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME DANIELLE!!" The mentioned teenager yelled from behind the beaded curtain, making the beads rattle and the boys jump.

"It's like she's everywhere," Fubuki whimpered, embracing his scared companion Kit.

"Well, Dani made the Companion's Special," PIXAL explained, unfazed by the brunette's outburst. "She worked hard for the position, sure, but everyday after work, she always ran into someone living on the streets. Ninjago may seem like the city of the future, but it has its sour spots just like any city." She dropped tea bags into the cups and transferred them onto a tin plate. "So one day, when she was still a mere dish washer, she came up to me and proposed a concept that could at least fill the bellies of the unfortunate people. It sounded like a plausible idea to me, so I agreed; we got the word out, and ever since, the Companion's Special is one of the things that makes Steeper Wisdom so popular!"

"But wouldn't having a lot of people eat for free degrade the shop's income?" Naoki asked, tying his own apron. "And I can't imagine a lot of paying people like having homeless people in the vicinity during their afternoon tea. OUCH!"

Yugo had flicked the back of his head. "Be a little more sensitive, would ya?" He growled at the scientist.

"It's alright, Yugo; he was just asking a question," PIXAL soothed. "And to answer your question, Naoki, yes, it would normally degrade the shop's income. Though for some reason, we're still in business - we either have very loyal customers, or very scared ones!" She laughed slightly, though it only served to make everyone more uneasy.

Unfazed by the shook look on the boys' faces, PIXAL picked up a piece of paper from the countertop and read it. "Alright, this order of tea goes to Table 6," She murmured, heading to the beaded curtain. Before going through, she stopped next to Valt. "Help them get started, will you?" At his nod, she pushed aside the beads, careful not to knock any into the tea, and disappeared into the dining room.

"Okay, be honest," Free yelled after her, still peeved at being brought along. "How much of this is just free labor?"

"About 50%!" PIXAL cheerfully called back. Free rolled his eyes.

"Alrighty!" Valt proclaimed, standing in front of the group with his hands on his hips. "Dani and PIXAL weren't lying - this place gets busy during the lunch rush. And it's bound to get busier than normal once it gets out that all 20 of the Elemental Masters are here. But if we work together, we can do this! Like Dani said, we'll treat each tea and pastry as a station and switch every once in a while; that way, you can get a feel of the full experience! It'll be fun!"

"You and I have very different definitions of the word 'fun'," Lui grumbled, though he was also wearing an apron.

"Well, our definitions may just overlap after this, Lui!" Valt told him joyfully. "Let's get started!"

And so the work day officially began. Valt introduced his teammates to the regular staff members - all 40 years or older. Then he split the group into teams to man certain stations. Cuza, Daigo, Ukyo, and Shu were labeled the "people pleasers" and were told to take peoples' orders. Xander, Honcho, Lui, and Free were given the cliche term "strong men" and were pointed towards rolling out the dough for certain pastries. Valt, Wakiya, Kit, and Fubuki were known as "rule followers" and took up mixing ingredients. Orochi, Naoki, Jin, and Boa were given the name "tea masters" and given the task of mixing teas and inserting the teabags. Yugo, Quon, Ken, and Ren Wu were appointed "sentries" and were in charge of making sure every tea and pastry went into the ovens and brewers without a hitch.

"Just to make it clear," Free grouched as he stared down at a mound of dough that a regular staff member had plopped down in front of him. "I did NOT sign up for this!"

"Neither did I," Lui grumbled as he kneaded his own dough, following the lead of another regular staff member. "Yet here we are, so shut your yap and start kneading!"

It was a pretty sound system. Each group did their part for 15 minutes, then swapped jobs; people pleasers became strong men, strong men became rule followers, and so on. Every once in a while, Dani and PIXAL went into the kitchen and helped them out when they needed it. Doing so ensured that their comfort zones didn't consist of only one job, but all of them. Though there was an incident where Xander cracked his eggs a little too much and had to scoop out all the egg shells. And Jin had a narcolepsy episode and almost missed the timer on a batch of tea cakes.

Sometimes it's good to have a lot of staff members.

And Valt was right, it did get busy once the public found out that the Elemental Masters were working; halfway through lunch rush, the company in the tea shop was mostly teenage girls. Every time one of the boys came out from behind the beaded curtain, there was a collective squeal that nearly made poor Orochi go deaf in one ear. PIXAL and Dani had to double as bodyguards and follow one the boys when they either went to get an order or deliver tea. Xander especially had a lot of fans with his big smile and bulging muscles. Girls in Ninjago had clearly never seen a boy like him, and several had asked if he was single. PIXAL had to put him on suspension until most of the girls were gone.

At the end of the lunch rush when the tea shop was closed, PIXAL and Dani strode into the kitchen to find all of the boys sprawled on the floor in various positions. "Now...that wasn't so bad, was it?" PIXAL asked them sweetly.

Twenty pairs of eyes slowly moved towards her. "That...was even more draining than the actual training," Ren Wu wheezed on the floor with one arm braced on a countertop.

"Which I didn't think was possible," Jin groaned, propped against an oven.

Dani snickered. "Stick around here long enough, you'll get used to it," She told them. "But I got something to perk y'all right up." Stepping over a few legs, she went to one of the fridges and opened it, reaching in and pulling out something that got all of the boys on their feet again.

"CAKE POPS!!" Ken exclaimed, his green eyes sparkling. He reached toward one of the sugary sticks, but hesitated before he grabbed one and looked up towards Dani for confirmation.

"It's fine, kiddo," She told him, giggling. "I always make a second batch of everything before the work day starts, so afterwards, I can just rewind and gorge myself on sugary goodness!"

"How have you been out of my life all these years?" Honcho howled, plucking a cake pop off the tray.

"You're the man, Dani," Valt said, laughing. After plucking his own snack and taking a bite, he gazed at the brunette thoughtfully. "Say...are these guys any closer to calling you Dani?"

The teenager looked up and smiled slyly. "We're...getting there."

—————
5521 words.

OH MY GOD, THIS TOOK SO LONG!!

AND WATTPAD DELETED MY CHANGES TO THIS CHAPTER SO MANY TIMES!!

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A CHAPTER THAT GAVE SOME CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TO DANIELLE!!

Also, about my inactivity on my Art Book...I was dared a while back to draw Valt, Shu, Free, and Lui in a comic version of the 6 x 3 meme by someone.

You know who you are...

And I've been putting it off because I NEEDED to get this chapter done!!

But I will get back on it now!

Also, tell me what you guys think of Dani! I want some feedback on her.