ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (8-Bit cover)

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Had to have high, high hopes for a living

Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing

Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision

Always had high, high hopes

---

Pixal plugged a cord to herself while Cyrus worked on the Digiverse.

''I think we should put the main switch over here to keep it tucked away a little,'' Cyrus told them. '' With a little ingenuity and a few more coaxial cables, we may be able to reboot the system with the Techno Blades and erase the Digital Overlord for good.''

''I thought you said we needed the stolen hard drive to do that,'' Jay replied, his hands on his hips.

''I did. But that was before I truly understood the entire capabilities of what (Y/n)'s powers truly allow us.'' Cyrus replied, and the others looked at the girl.

''And what is that?'' Kai asked the inventor.

''A chance to enter remotely. By the time we figure out where Lloyd is, it'll be too late to stop the Overlord from draining his Golden Power.'' The inventor answered.

''And escaping the Digiverse?'' Nya asked.

''Exactly. But if we digitize the Ninja and Techno Blades using my experimental technology, you could fight him on his own turf inside the Digiverse.'' Cyrus told the ninja.

''What do you mean inside the Digiverse?'' Jay asked.

''Ugh, weren't you listening? He's going to put us into the video game.'' Cole told the Lightning Ninja.

''I know, heh, I just wanted to hear it again!'' Jay replied, smiling.

''But Mr. Borg, if anything were to happen to them inside the program—'' Pixal started.

''Of course. Every step into the unknown has its dangers.'' Cyrus interrupted.

''What dangers? What is she talking about?'' Kai asked.

(Y/n) sighed. ''Here we go.''

''You know how in video games you get multiple lives?'' The inventor asked.

''Yeah, whoa,'' Jay replied, turning and standing on the seat to look at the screen.

''It's not like that.'' Cyrus finished.

''Oh.'' The Lightning Ninja said as he realised the problem.

''Presto! We're up and running!'' Cyrus said as the screen booted up.

''Aha! You see? Borg is holding out on us. He does have power.'' The Postman told the others, barging in with the other citizens.

''Oh, this is no time for more post-apocalyptic role-playing, Postman.'' The inventor replied, annoyed.

''This isn't a game anymore. We heard about the Nindroid activity. What if they come back? We need power to defend ourselves. And I wanna catch up on my shows.'' The Postman said, holding his wooden spoon above his head.

''Would you like to play a game?'' The Computer asked.

''They are playing a game. Take back the power!'' The Postman ordered the citizens, who charged at them.

''No, stop!'' Cole shouted, but it was no use.

''We're trying to help you!'' Kai told them, and they knocked Jay into his seat. For a moment, the power went off, before coming back on again. Golden orbs of Golden Power floated around, surrounding the group.

''Uh.'' Jay said as he hopped off his seat.

''Oooh, pretty,'' Remo said, staring at the orbs.

''Where's all the power coming from?'' Nya asked the others.

''Golden Power. It's already begun. The Overlord has started the transference.'' Cyrus Borg answered.

---

The team quickly realized they were being surrounded by the Nindroid army.

''Quick, P.I.X.A.L., we must isolate our server. If he finds out our plan to use the Techno Weapons remotely, the Ninja won't stand a chance.'' Cyrus told Pixal.

''Isolating server. Sir, we have an abnormal mass of power signatures.'' The female android replied, looking at the screen.

''Aah! They're already here. Initiate lockdown.'' The inventor ordered, activating a metal barricade around the Borg Tower.

''Be seated, Ninja. There isn't much time.'' Cyrus told them. The boys hopped into their seats and (Y/n) looked at Cyrus, a slightly confused look on her face.

''Why don't I have a seat?'' She asked. The inventor turned to her.

''You, Pixal and Nya will help guard the ninja, in case they do get up here,'' Cyrus told her.

''Do something useful and make sure those Nindroids don't get up here. If you ever wanna see your favourite shows again, you better get downstairs now!'' Nya shouted at the citizens inside the room.

''You heard her! Go go go!'' (Y/n) added, shouting as well. The citizens turned and ran to the doors, banging on them and trying to open the elevator doors.

''Once we're inside, what do we do?'' Zane asked as Borg readied them.

''Put simply, reboot the system. All source code travels through the heart of the mainframe. Follow it and you'll find a glowing activation port. The Techno Blades are the keys to activate the reboot and erase all corruption from the system.'' Cyrus answered.

''Uh, can you put it more simply?'' The Fire Ninja asked.

''Look for a big bright light, Airhead, then put your weapon in it.'' The Earth Ninja answered.

''Okay, got it. I can do that.'' Kai replied. ''Hey! I'm not an airhead.'' He said crossly.

''Remember, I wrote the code, but he controls it. His turf, his rules. I'll do my best to keep you hidden from here, but the longer you go unnoticed, the better chance you have to succeed.'' The inventor told the boys.

''Be careful in there, Zane.'' (Y/n) told the nindroid, who nodded. Kai looked over at the Ice Ninja, a jealous look on his face.

''I will come back to you.'' The Ice Ninja promised as Pixal finished preparing the ninja.

''Prepare for entry,'' Cyrus told them.

''How do we know this is really gonna work and won't disintegrate us instantly?'' Kai asked the inventor.

''Hm. I'm not sure. Let's see.'' The inventor replied, going over to the button and pressing it, sending them to the Digiverse.

''Aah! I hate technology!'' Kai screamed as he saw his arms become longer. ''Argh, see? I told you it wouldn't work.'' The Fire Ninja said as he looked around.

''I think it did. Look.'' Cole replied.

Zane gasped. ''This is most definitely the Digiverse.'' He said, holding up his hand, which was covered in code.

''And this is most definitely awesome!'' Jay replied, walking over to a wall, and streams of code appeared, going downwards.

''Oh, it's like a dream,'' Cole said before his arm was punched by Jay. ''Ow! What was that for?''

''Just testing the rules. First rule: Cole's a crybaby.'' Jay answered.

''We know we can still get hurt in the Digiverse. Let's stay on task. We have the keys. Now let's find that activation port.'' Zane told the others.

---

Back in the ''real world'' Pixal checked on the ninja.

''Vitals are strong.'' The female android told the inventor.

''So far, so good. He hasn't detected them yet.'' Cyrus replied.

Back in the Digiverse, the ninja stood on a ledge, looking down.

''Borg was right. The source code appears to be moving toward the same location.'' Zane told the others.

''Then let's follow it,'' Kai replied.

''Easier said than done,'' Cole said.

''Aren't you forgetting, we're in a video game, whoo-hoo!'' Jay told the others before jumping off the tower and landing on the ground, unharmed. ''Haha, second rule: video games rule!''

''How did you do that?'' The Fire Ninja asked.

''Just imagine it!'' The Lightning Ninja answered. Cole and Zane jumped off and joined Jay.

''Whoo-hoo!'' The Earth Ninja exclaimed in joy as he fell.

''Whoa!'' The Ice Ninja exclaimed as he fell.

''Just imagine,'' Kai told himself before his head became bigger. ''Huh? What's happening?''

''You gotta clear your mind,'' Jay called from below.

''Uh, huh, you were the one who called me an airhead!'' Kai shouted in reply.

''Uh, no, it was me actually.'' Cole corrected him.

''Stop being so self-conscious and jump!'' Jay told him.

Kai then fell, his airheadedness slowing his fall. ''Aah!''

''See? He is such an airhead.'' The Lightning Ninja told the others, watching Kai float in front of them.

Cyrus Borg checked their activity on a computer.

''They're doing it. They're mastering the digital world. I must buy them more time-'' He said, before being attacked by his own artificial limbs. ''Argh! My legs! They're back!''

Nya attacked the legs. ''Stay with them! If the Overlord finds them in the system, it's all over!'' She told him, while (Y/n) helped.

''He's already found them,'' Pixal replied.

''Everything is flowing to the bottom of the building,'' Cole told the others, looking down.

''The ashes of the Overlord,'' Kai replied.

''You mean when Lloyd defeated him in the Ultimate Battle?'' Jay asked Kai.

''It must be where the corruption all started.'' The Ice Ninja answered.

''We're close. Let's go.'' The Fire Ninja replied, stepping forward. Suddenly, his foot started sinking into the ground, and the others did too, unable to move.

''Argh! Who's imagining this? I can't move my feet.'' Jay told the others.

''Not me,'' Cole replied.

''Me neither,'' Zane answered.

''Well, don't look at me,'' Kai said to the others.

''You think you can come into my world and get rid of me?'' The Overlord asked, appearing above them.

Zane tried to reach for a crane. ''I can't get it. I can't reach it.''

''Uh, I have a sinking feeling this is it, guys,'' Jay told the others.

''The Ninja, they're being consumed by the corrupted program,'' Pixal said, looking at her inventor, who was trying to stop his artificial legs.

''We're all a bit consumed,'' Nya replied, struggling.

''We couldn't stop them. They're coming up! This time, the Postman does not deliver!'' The Postman said, appearing on the screen before being tackled by a nindroid.

The screens flickered before turning off.

''Unh! Go, these are my legs, and my problem.'' Cyrus told them.

''I'll try to hold the rest of them back, with (Y/n),'' Nya replied, running over to the elevator doors with (Y/n).

''P.I.X.A.L., listen to me closely. You need to bypass the main subnet, argh, overwrite the existing corrupted code.'' Cyrus told the female android.

''Yes, sir,'' Pixal replied.

The boys were being consumed by the code, almost out of sight. Kai was the last one to disappear from view, before the crane moved and picked them up, being controlled by Pixal.

''I temporarily altered the corrupted code. Hurry, I can only resist him for so long.'' Pixal told them before the crane exploded.

''We have to get to that activation port, quick!'' Cole said, looking down.

''Ugh, It's all downhill from here!'' Jay replied.

The ground shook and began to rumble as they heard the Overlord's voice. ''Just because your friend thinks she can change the rules doesn't mean I can't play the same game! This is my world!'' the ground shook once again, knocking them off their feet.

''What's happening?'' Cole asked the others.

''I spoke too soon!'' Jay replied, and the tower started to tilt upside down. The ninja held on, seeing objects rain down on them.

''Look out, Jay!'' The original nindroid warned the Lightning Ninja, seeing a hovercar fall towards him. Jay ducked, the car too close for comfort as it bounced over his head.

''Is everybody okay?'' Cole asked the others.

''More incoming!'' Jay warned, pointing up at the objects that were still raining down.

''Follow the car into the building, then we—Whoa!'' Zane almost lost his grip, but quickly regained it as he held on. The ninja then somehow managed to get inside the tower.

''Ugh. Well, that gives us a new perspective.'' Kai said, looking out the window.

Pythor, Tech Wu and the nindroids entered the tower, heading towards the room where the Techno Blades were at.

''I'll give you one chance to surrender,'' Nya said, standing in front of a window with (Y/n).

Cryptor laughed. ''Cute.''

''I hate it when people call me cute,'' Nya replied, looking behind her.

''Oh, they'll pay for it.'' (Y/n) replied, watching them come closer. She glanced behind her, seeing the mech about to crash through the window. (Y/n) sidestepped, out of the way and the Samurai Mech crashed through, bowling over the nindroids.

Now in her Samurai Mech, Nya looked at the nindroids on the floor. ''Huh! Would you look at that? You made me break a nail.''

(Y/n) and Nya fought the nindroids, while Pythor and Wu managed to escape. Remo noticed, and followed the two.

Jay panted from climbing upwards. ''Ugh, hey. We're not thinking big enough. Why climb when we could do this?'' He asked the others, before jumping out of the window and summoning his vehicle.

''That kid plays way too many games,'' Kai said, watching the Lightning Ninja drive up the upside-down building.

''Jay's right. Forget this!'' Cole replied, doing the same.

''Okay, you can do this, Kai. You can.'' The Fire Ninja told himself, doing what the other did, but his jet disappeared. ''Aah! I can't do it! I can't do it! I can't do it!'' He screamed as he fell.

Zane appeared, in his hover-copter and saving Kai. ''Gotcha.''

''Let's get to the top,'' Cole told the others.

''You mean bottom.'' Jay corrected him.

''Ninja, go!'' The boys shouted as they sped up the building, destroying anything in their path.

Cyrus was still struggling with his artificial limbs, before seeing Tech Wu and Pythor. ''Argh! Ugh! Oh, no. Pixal, protect the Ninja.'' He told his assistant as the two raised their weapons to destroy the ninja.

''No!'' Pixal shouted, kicking the two and disarming them. Remo appeared, before seeing Cyrus get grabbed by a nindroid in a hover-copter. ''Argh! Pixal, it's all up to you now!''

''Am I a joke to you?'' Remo asked, slightly annoyed.

The ninja destroyed several jets that had come to attack them.

''The data filters into the ground! The heart of the system must be behind it.'' Cole realised.

''Then let's be surgical about this,'' Jay replied, and they fired into the ground.

''Ninja, go!'' The boys shouted, before reaching the bottom.

''The reboot activation port! It can't be that easy, can it?'' Kai asked the others as they looked to see a massive blue tower-like thing.

''I'm not gonna stand around to find out,'' Cole replied, running towards it.

''Let's hack this thing.'' The Fire Ninja told the others as they placed their Techno Blades in the right spots.

''Ninja, go!'' The boys shouted once more as the Overlord suddenly appeared, a towering mass of pixels with red eyes.

''Enough! You may have beat my program, but you cannot beat me!'' The Digital Bacteria told them.

The boys looked back at the reboot activation port, seeing a bright light appear at the top of it. A beam of light appeared, but the Overlord stopped it, and fired it at the ninja, knocking them to the ground.

''He's blocked the reboot signal. We have to complete the circuit.'' Zane told the others.

''Unh! We have to move him?'' Jay asked.

''We can try,'' Kai answered, and they ran towards the mass of pixels, flying into the air before being knocked away and Jay in the Overlord's clutches.

''And you can fail!'' The Overlord told them, using Jay to hit the others away from him.

Pixal struggled to keep the two away from her, with Remo trying to help, before accidentally knocking Tech Wu near the button.

''Turn off the master switch,'' Pythor commanded.

''No. The Ninja will be left behind in the program forever.'' Pixal replied.

''Just like they left me in the Devourer. Do it!'' The anacondrai commanded before a nindroid appeared and threw Wu out of the tower before he could push the button.

They then took off their mask, revealing Sensei Garmadon.

''You're back,'' Pixal said.

''But your oath! You said you'd never fight.'' Pythor said, looking at the former evil lord.

''When you took my son, all bets were off.'' Sensei Garmadon replied, before punching and kicking the anacondrai.

''You're too late. Your son's already ours.'' Pythor told him before he jumped backwards out of the window, being saved by a nindroid in a hover-copter. Seeing Wu on the crane, Garmadon went out of the window to save his brother.

''Fools! All your existence, you have been powered by a lie...'' the Overlord said, with Jay still in his clutches.

''I got him! I got him!'' The Lightning Ninja shouted.

''...that the good guys always win.'' The Overlord finished.

''He's too big,'' Kai told the others.

''Sadly, they don't.'' The Overlord said.

''We cannot fail,'' Zane replied.

''I have the power now. Technology has made me infinite!'' The towering mass of pixels boasted.

''You let me go, you overgrown—Whoa! Argh.'' Jay said as he was thrown into the ground.

''The Golden Ninja is mine!'' The Overlord said.

---

''I am not alone.''

Hearing this as he got up, he turned to the Overlord. ''Lloyd? You're wrong, Overlord. Good guys may not always win, but they never give up.'' His gi suddenly turned to gold. ''If we can't move him, go around him.'' He said, running towards the Overlord.

''What? Zane, you're gold.'' Kai said, watching as the Ice Ninja headed to the top.

''Exactly. Even in the darkness, we have the choice to reflect the light. Cole, get into the light.'' Zane replied, letting the beam of light hit him. He then directed it at the ground.

''Ugh, you're a genius. Catch the light, Jay.'' Cole said, avoiding a hit by one of the Overlord's tentacles and standing in the light before directing it at Jay.

''Kai, run to your position.'' The Lightning Ninja told the Fire Ninja.

''I'm too big to fail now.'' The Overlord said.

''Come on, Kai. You can do it. Just believe.'' Jay said while Kai ran.

''How can I? This is not my world.'' The Fire Ninja replied.

''Now, too little, too late. I won't allow!'' The towering mass of pixels said, looking at Kai. The Fire Ninja fell to his knees in despair, looking at the ground.

''What (Y/n)'s powers truly allow.''

''I allow myself!'' Kai said, his gi turning gold and reflecting the beam of light.

''System reboot initiated.'' The computer spoke.

''No, no!'' The Overlord screamed as he disappeared in a shower of sparks.

The citizens of Ninjago City cheered as the robots turned back to normal. ''They delivered.'' The Postman said with a smile.

Nya swept aside a nindroid, the others stopping. (Y/n) looked at them in confusion.

''They rebooted the system. Switch your power offline. I look forward to our second date.'' Cryptor told them, before running off.

Pixal pressed the button to let the ninja out from the Digiverse.

''I'm just Zane.'' The nindroid spoke.

''You're so much more than just Zane,'' Kai told him.

''You did it!'' Nya exclaimed, running into the room with (Y/n). She hugged her brother, while (Y/n) looked at the boys with a smile on her face.

''Great job there boys, I'm proud of you.'' She told them, and they smiled back, a bright expression lighting their faces.

''You all did it,'' Wu said, appearing with Garmadon.

''Oh, Sensei, you're back!'' Jay exclaimed.

''I knew you'd be back,'' Kai replied.

''So the system is completely clear?'' Zane asked.

''There is no evidence of the Digital Overlord. He is erased.'' Pixal answered, and everyone except Garmadon cheered.

''But what about Lloyd?'' The formerly evil lord asked.

---

There was static, and no response from the Green Ninja.

''Lloyd, are you there? Do you read me?'' Pixal asked.

There was more static before he answered. ''I'm here. I'm all right.'' Lloyd spoke.

'Oh, that's good to hear.' Morro spoke.

''Son, where are you?'' His father asked him.

''Dad? You're alive! Uh, I'm not alone. I'm in a remote village.'' The Green Ninja answered, his voice shaky.

''Stay where you are, we're picking you up,'' Garmadon told his son.

''Ah, good, 'cause, uh, my Golden Power's, uh, a little spent,'' Lloyd answered, making them laugh in relief that he was still alive, stopping when Pixal looked over at Cyrus' wheelchair.

''Don't worry, we'll find him. And when we stop Pythor, all of this will be over.'' Zane told the female android.

''I hope not,'' Pixal replied.

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