SUMMARY: NOT BASED ON SEASON 6 EPISODE 10, DON'T LET THE TITLE FOOL YOU! After missing their flight home from Jamanakai Village, the team scrambles to get Wu back to Ninjago City in time for a big interview.

"I'll get back to you guys at the end of the day with all the logistics-"

"Zane Julien!" Everyone turned to see Kai waltz in wearing a red tracksuit, wielding a stereo, "Four years ago, on this exact date, you told me I was too lazy to learn how to do the Worm." Skylor silently facepalmed as Kai continued talking, "I vowed on that day to prove you a fool, and today, I shall. Check it."

Setting the stereo down, Kai turned it on, before flopping belly-first onto the floor, doing the worm. He spun onto his side, "I'm on fire!" He cheered. Zane turned the music off, "As I was telling the team, our old friend Clutch Powers just passed away."

"Oh no."

"We're going to Jamanakai Village for the funeral next week. I'll have the travel details later, since the Bounty's broken."

Jay ran in excitedly, "Hey, has anyone seen a worm? Cos this funky chicken's hungry!"

Kai stood up, "Jay, a man has died, read the room!"

---//\\---

Jamanakai Village
Thursday 10:29AM.

"Oh man, sad day. Sad day." Kai mumbled, his hands in his pockets.

Pixal looked at the pictures on the picture board, "It's crazy how different things were when Clutch was with us. It was like the Wild West."

"Oh yeah, we had some fun." Cole agreed.

"I didn't!" Pixal protested, "In every one of those photos, I look uptight and worried. Meanwhile everyone else looks like they're having the time of their lives."

"That's because they're all stress-free, not like us Type A's." Morro stated. Pixal glanced at Seliel, "Sel? Am I too high strung?"

"I wouldn't say you're too high-strung. You just are high-strung. You know, your strung is what makes you strung. You're strung strongly."

Pixal shook her head, "Not anymore. From now on, I'm going to be super chill. So, where's the party at? Trick question, the party's right here, boy!"

"Ahem." Pixal jumped, "Oh, hello, Mrs Powers. My condolences for your loss."

---//\\---

Lloyd nudged Nya, "So, who'd you got your eye on?"

Nya frowned, "What?"

"You haven't dated anyone since you broke up with Jay. And funerals are a meat market. Sadness is a powerful aphrodisiac"

"No, it's not."

"Then how come everyone cries during sex?" He challenged.

"I'm already seeing someone, Lloyd."

"Oh! And just like that, things got interesting!"

"And just like that, I left."

---//\\---

"Hello, Wu."

"Oh, Chief Commissioner. I didn't think you'd be flying out for this." Wu greeted, as he shook the Commissioner's hand.

"I liked Powers. He was fun to have a beer with. Now there's no one I wanna have a beer with."

"Yes, that's the problem with Ninjago's lines of defence."

"So, I hear you're meeting with the Mayor on Monday morning. Well, you didn't hear this from me but, the Mayor's retiring next year. They put a short list together of possible replacements, and you're on it. This is your first interview."

"Really?"

Pixal gasped, "What?"

"Oh my God!" Jay grinned excitedly

Skylor frowned, "What's going on?"

"What's going on is Master Wu has an interview to become the Mayor of the fricking City! And he's gonna nail it and fulfil his destiny as Lord High Commander of All Justice."

Wu intervened, "Okay, let's not get carried away. Who says I'm even interested in becoming Mayor?"

Kai stepped forward, "You, constantly. Even the first day I met you."

FLASHBACK

"I'm interested in becoming Mayor." Wu deadpanned. Kai nodded.

"Good to know!"

END FLASHBACK

"Fair enough, but even so, it's probably a long shot. I mean, there are many names on the list."

The Commissioner shook his head, "Nope. Just 4."

Zane jumped up and down excitedly, "Yeah! Three complete strangers and you! Master, you're the perfect candidate: smart, well-respected, you smell great, that has nothing to do with the job, it's just something I've been meaning to tell you, is it sandalwood?" He gabbled breathlessly.

"Please calm down."

"Right, totally, don't wanna jinx it!"

"I don't believe in jinxes."

"Great, then you won't mind me saying it's a lock. You're definitely gonna get it and you're gonna smell even better with that Lord High Commander of All Justice stank on you, let's do this!" Jay squeaked hurriedly, not seeming to pause to take a breath.

---//\\---

Friday 1:14PM

"I can't wait to get on a plane!" Cole cheered as they drove in the rented minivan, "I used up my savings and upgraded to first class."

Lloyd looked impressed, "Damn, Cole."

He jumped up and down in his seat excitedly, "This is gonna be great, sipping on a mimosa, snacking on a hummus trio watching Bridget Jones' Baby!

Jay checked his phone, "Oh, it says to turn left here."

Wu shook his head, "No, this route is more direct."

"Oh, okay, you do you, Mayor."

"Please don't call me that."

"Okay, fine. I'll just call you 'The Mayor'- no 'Mayor Mish'- no 'Mishy Elliot-"

"OH MY GAWD!" Kai screeched

The tires screeched as they halted abruptly. Lloyd jumped up, "What?! Nadakhan? Harumi? Lord Garmadon?!" (someone give this poor bean a hug, he's traumatised)

"Nakatomi Plaza!" Kai breathed excitedly, "It's the most important monument in all of Ninjago! The building from 'Die Hard!'" He turned to Wu, "Can we go in? Can we pay our respects?"

Pixal stared at her watch worriedly, "Our flight leaves in three and a half hours and- but like...what is time even? Hashtag Legalise It." She made a peace sign and leaned back in her seat.

"Can we go in?" Kai begged. Wu sighed, "Fine, just make it quick."

"YES! Pull in over there, Argyle!"

"Huh?"

"That's the name of the driver in the movie! We're going to Nakatomi Plaza, there's gonna be roleplay!"

---//\\---

"Oh my God! It's more beautiful than I imagined!" Kai breathed excitedly as they stepped into the room. Morro scrunched his nose up, "It's an empty floor under construction."

"Just like in the movie! Jay, this is the floor that John McClane ran on barefoot, take my picture with it!" He tossed the Blue Ninja his phone and got down on the floor, grinning like a maniac.

---//\\---

"This is the window where John McClane said 'Welcome to the party, pal.' Take my picture with it!"

---//\\---

"This is the vent where John McClane said, 'Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs.' Take my picture with it!

---//\\---

"This is the space where even though it's not really evident in the dialogue, you can tell that John McClane realises he should have been a better husband to Holly Genearo. Take my picture with it!"

---//\\---

"Take my picture with it!"

---//\\---

"Take my picture with it!"

---//\\---

"But then he unclasps the watch and Hans falls!" He mimed falling in slow motion, whilst Jay sat on Morro's shoulders and took a picture.

---//\\---

"That's a good one, that's a good one, that's a good one, that's a good one, okay, all 654 of these are great!" Kai beamed as he scrolled through his phone, "We should probably head to the airport."

Wu shrugged, "We have more time if you need it."

"There's literally nothing left for me to shoot. All right, let's get outta here." Skylor went to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. "The door's locked."

Zane frowned, "That's strange, I thought the guard propped it open." Nya glanced at the windows, "I'd kick my way out, but I think these windows are bulletproof."

Lloyd waved his phone around, "We're not getting any reception in here!"

"Guys, it's cool, we just gotta roll with it!" Pixal assured, "You know, travel should be like jazz!"

Cole shook his head, "Nu-uh. There's a lie-flat seat waiting for me, and I wanna be napping in it with a hot towel wrapped around my big head!" He started punching the door, "HELP!"

"Alright, everyone calm down!" Morro ordered, "I'm sure that guard will be back in like, 5 minutes."

2 HOURS LATER

We're gonna miss our flight!" Cole yelped, "I should be sitting next to a semi-famous person I can't quite place right now!"

"Come on, don't give up! If we get rescued right now, and there's no traffic at the airport and the van return goes smoothly and security's super chill about all the weapons we have, we could still make it!" Jay said, trying to ease the situation.

The door opened and the guard peered his head through, "You guys okay in here?"

Jay jumped up, "Yes! See? I told you not to lose hope! It's a miracle, we're still gonna make it!"

---//\\---

"Yeah, we missed our flight by a lot." 

Lloyd sighed, "It's fine, we'll just get the next one. Let's see, next flight: cancelled...cancelled....cancelled. What is going on?!"

"There are huge storms going on. All flights are grounded." Zane stated. All eyes averted to Nya, Jay and Morro, who shrugged, "Don't look at us!" Morro defended indignantly. 

Kai sighed, "I know this is the wrong time to bring it up, but we're standing 75 feet from where Argyle picked up John McClane from the airport." He handed Jay his phone, "Take my picture with it."

---//\\---

"Okay, we can't get out until Monday afternoon at the earliest." Pixal informed. Kai groaned, "I tried everything. I begged, I pleaded, I even told them Cole was a Make-A-Wish kid with a rare disease that gives him muscles for no reason."

"Did you call it Coliosis?" Nya asked, scrolling through her phone.

"Damn it, Nya! That's really good and completely useless to me right now!" Cole raced up to them, "They wouldn't even let me in the first class lounge since my flight had already departed. I grabbed this and ran." He held up a small packet, "You're all that's left of my dreams now, Mr Mint."

"All right, stop hugging your mint. We have bigger problems." Skylor scolded, "Wu's Mayor interview's on Monday."

"Can't he just reschedule?" Morro asked. Pixal's eyes shot up, "No! He's gonna be up against the best of the best, the slightest slipup could cost him the job and- but whatever, you know. It is what it is, Daddy-O."

"Look, Master Wu helped us all achieve our collective dream of going to Nakatomi Plaza."

"Only you." Nya deadpanned. Kai went on talking, "Now, it's time for us to return the favour and help him achieve his. Get him back to Ninjago City in time for that interview. Now we have until Monday morning, and it takes..." he checked his watch, "...48 hours to drive from Jamanakai Village to Ninjago. We've still got time."

"No we don't," Wu headed back from the front desk, "I checked with all the car rental agencies. There are no available vehicles. I'm just gonna have to call the Mayor, cancel this meeting-"

Kai stopped him, "Not on my watch. We just have to think. There's gotta be a way to get you back." He went silent for a few seconds before grinning excitedly, "Got it!"

---//\\---

"May I present to you the finest RV that not much money can buy: The American Creeper!" Kai gestured to a large caravan, with The American Creeper plastered across it.

"No one should have to suffer like this for me." Wu stated. Lloyd shook his head, "Suffer? This is a dream come true! It's a cross-country road trip! My dad and I took one every month before he got cursed again. You blast the 'Annie' soundtrack, and you eat junk food, and you bond over secrets." He nudged Nya at the last bit, only for her to elbow him in return, "I'm not telling you who I'm dating."

"All right, I'll take the first shift," Morro called out, "American Creepers, let's get creeping! Get your asses inside!"

---//\\---

HOUR ONE

"Hey! One hour down!" Morro cheered, "Victory honk!" Pressing down on the wheel, it let out a prolonged honk. He whacked it again, but it didn't stop, "Oh no. Oh boy." Whacking it repeatedly, it fell into silence, "Nobody use the horn!"

HOUR THREE

"Whatcha got there, Cole?" Seliel asked, as her boyfriend sat back down in his seat, wielding tissues, "I microwaved a bunch of wet napkins to make a hot towel. Just because we're in a crappy RV doesn't mean I still can't be First Class Cole." He plastered them across his face, "Mmm, just like the real thing!"

HOUR NINE

Wu had taken over with driving. Jay held out a bag, "Cheese puff, sir?" Wu declined the offer as he drove, "No, thank you. They're full of chemicals."

"Well, yeah, but everything's made with chemicals if you think about it."

"I suppose you're right."

"I am?"

"Let me try one." He took one and popped it into his mouth, before his eyes widened, "It imploded in my mouth."

Jay beamed, "That's the magic of the puff. You don't have to chew. So, what are you gonna do when you're Mayor? I think you should focus on interagency communication and intel sharing. Also, laser jails!"

"Let's not talk about things that may not happen."

From the back, Morro perked up, "I'd like to see an increase in vacation days. And we should all get summers off, like teachers. Let the city go to purge!"

HOUR TWELVE

Lloyd sat beside Nya, wielding a couple of sliced lemons, "Hey, Nya! Wanna go streaking?" Nya looked extremely confused, "What?"

"That's what my dad and I called getting coloured streaks in your hair. We used to do it on road trips. You just take a lemon up top and let the sun do the rest." He handed a half to Nya, and continued talking, "We called it giving each other road head!"

"You just said you called it going streaking."

"It had a couple of names. Speaking of names..." He grinned excitedly, "Who's your new boyfriend?"

Without warning, Nya squeezed the juice from the lemon into his eyes.

"OW! OW!"

HOUR TWENTY-ONE

"Oh man, you really went to town on those cheese puffs." Kai stated, looking impressed. Wu sighed, "Well, their 80% air, which is something your body needs."

Kai peered at the sign through the window, "Terra Technica? What the hell? We're supposed to be in Stiix by now! We've been averaging 50 for 21 hours. Unless..." He stared at the controls, "Damn it! The speedometer's broken! No wonder everyone was flipping us off!"

"I'm sorry, I don't think we can make up the time."

Kai shook his head, "No, there's no way I'm letting you miss that interview, we just have to make less stops." He whipped around, "Hey, guys! Listen up, from now on, we use the bathroom in the RV."

"No!" 

"There are so many of us!" 

Everyone started protesting, but Kai quickly cut them off, "I know, I'm sorry, but it's the only way."

Cole jumped up, "Me first!" He shut the door behind him.

15 MINUTES LATER

Everyone stared at Cole in horror as he came out of the small bathroom, "You guys didn't hear that, did you?"

Morro looked mortified, "I'm still hearing it! I'm never gonna stop hearing it!" Nya turned to face her brother and Kai, "Okay, new plan. We stick to the old bathroom schedule and we just drive at max speed. Zane, punch it. Punch it. Why are you not punching it?"

"I'm not comfortable operating this vehicle at a speed greater than the prevailing road and traffic conditions." He said. Nya groaned, "Fine, I'll do it myself!"

---//\\---

"This is going great!" Nya called out, "I'm already used to the bouncing and shaking!" Wu looked concerned, "I smell smoke."

Kai tried to wave it off, "Really? All I smell is residual Cole." Wu shook his head, "I definitely smell smoke. Pull over, now!"

---//\\---

Kai came back out of the RV, "Well, I checked everywhere. Nothing's on fire. Nothing's even smouldering. We just wasted 10 minutes for no reason-"

The RV blew up.

Jay stared at the huge fire, "You know, Wu, I think you're right, I do smell smoke."

---//\\---

Morro asked the car guy, "So, bottom-line this thing for me, how long is it gonna take to fix?"

The man shrugged, "It's still on fire."

"She's gone, Morro." Lloyd sighed, "She's creeping her way to heaven."

Nya scrunched her nose, "Let's be honest, she's creeping her way back to hell." Kai stared at his team, "Alright, guys. We have to focus, and think of a new plan for getting Wu back to his interview. Now, all we've lost is our only mode of transportation."

"And our clothes and food!" Cole yelped, "All I have left is this first class mint, and none of you get to eat it!"

"All right, perhaps we should just focus on finding a place to sleep tonight." Seliel suggested. Lloyd glanced up, "I might have a solution to that." He asked the car guy, "How far is it to Ouroborus?"

The car guy shrugged, "Around half an hour?"

"Great! I have cousins that live there! Becca, Tommy and Steve! There's a Garmadon in every part of Ninjago!"

Jay rubbed his hands, "Ooh! Ouroborus Garmadons! I'm excited! Do they wear bolo ties and cowboy hats?"

---//\\---

"Nope, still green on green." Kai sighed. Lloyd, on the other hand, looked beyond excited, "Steve, Tommy, Becca!"

"Becca is a man?"

"Oh thank you so much for letting us stay here! I love you." 

The three other blondes grinned, "I love you." Becca said, as did Tommy and Steve. Lloyd beamed, "God, it is so nice to meet you guys!"

They went inside and took their shoes off, "Is this a working cattle ranch?" Cole asked. Steve nodded, "Oh yes. This is a stud farm. We are the cow insemination kings of Central Ouroborus!"

Kai nodded, "Of course you are." Tommy gestured to the room which was neatly furnished with furniture, "We have sleeping bags for you guys here in the great room. If you hear what sounds like screaming, that's just cow intercourse."

Zane and Pixal exchanged an odd glance.

---//\\---

"Now we're all sleeping in one room next to a cow orgy. I would much rather be hanging out with you." Nya spoke into the phone. She saw Lloyd come up the stairs with a glass of water, "What are you doing, Blondie?"

"Just brushing my hair!"

Nya groaned, "Not you, Becca, I was talking to Lloyd." Lloyd handed her a glass, "Just bringing you some water." 

"Thanks."

He nodded towards the phone in her hand, "So, uh, who you talking to then? Is that your mysterious hunk?" He grinned teasingly.

"Babe, are you alright? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine, I'll call you back later." She hurriedly hung up and downed her water. Lloyd frowned, "Was that a woman's voice?"

"Yeah, it's my sister." She lied.

"You don't have a sister. And she called you 'babe'. What's really going on?"

Nya stayed silent, before blurting out, "I'm dating a woman. I'm bi."

"Oh...that's great. That's great, Nya. I just want you to know I totally support-" Nya quickly cut him off, "I don't wanna talk about it right now, okay? Just...leave it alone, Blondie."

"By all means."

"Not you, Becca!" She sauntered off.

"Okay. I love you."

Lloyd watched her walk off before calling back to his cousin, "I love you too."

---//\\---

It was dark outside, and the silence was filled with the mooing of cows. Wu laid awake, staring up at the ceiling. He turned to his side to see Kai propped up on one elbow, "Can't sleep either, huh? This cow screaming is so loud."

"So loud." Wu agreed.

"Is it a pleasure sound, or pain? Maybe they're into both."

"I hear they're into leather."

Kai raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Was that a joke?"

"Gallows humour. Being in this bovine brothel is truly a nightmare." Kai sighed and glanced at his mentor, "Hey, I'm sorry that things didn't work out. I know you always hoped that you would be Mayor."

Wu shook his head, "No. Over the course of my career, I've learnt that it's best not to have hopes." Kai raised his head off of his pillow, "Sir, that is so sad. That's like saying it's best not to have dreams."

"I only have one dream a year, always on Tax Day. In it, I must file an extension so yes, it's best not to have dreams."

"Well, I still wish I could've got you back in time."

The elderly man frowned, "Why do you care so much about this?"

The teen shrugged, "I don't know, it's your dream, and, you know, you changed my life, made me wanna be a better man, or whatever." Wu smiled tiredly at him, "Thank you for trying, but deep down, I always knew I'd never be Mayor."

---//\\---

The sun rose over the town of Ouroborus. Kai marched in, "Guys! Guys! Wake up, wake up, wake up! Come on!"

Cole groaned, "What's going on?"

"Master Wu, I know you've given up on your future, but I haven't. You're going to that interview."

"It's too late, Kai!" He protested.

"Just put a sock in it, man!" Kai yelped, "I'm doing this because of how much I care about you, so just stay the hell out of the way!"

Zane rubbed his eyes, "But we're too late to drive, and there's no available flights."

"That's what I thought, but on the way here, we passed the town of Goldsberg. I knew I recognised it from somewhere!"

"Where?" Jay yelped, "Sorry, are you monologuing, or is this a call-and-response thing?"

"No, that was great. Now, I order a lot of beef jerky online, 'cause I'm a cool guy with cool interests, and it's always shipped from Goldsberg, Ouroborus. There's a huge fulfilment centre there."

"There is?"

"Yes, Jay. I called them and they ship their packages out of a regional airport."

"They do?"

"That's too much, maybe back off a bit, bud. Passenger planes don't fly out of Goldsberg but thing planes do!"

"You mean cargo planes?" Seliel asked moodily.

"Yes, thank you!"

"Seliel gets to interject?!"

Kai continued, "The point is, we get to fly on the back of a cargo plane to Djinnjago!"

Skylor frowned, "W-Wait, when do we have to be in Goldsberg?"

"In an hour and a half, so get up and get ready!"

"But we've been in these clothes since Friday." Nya grumbled, "We smell like butt."

"And all our stuff exploded." Morro added on. Kai scratched his chin, "Right, good point. Uh, I guess we'll just have to borrow some!" Cole looked horrified, "Oh no. From who?"

---//\\---

They marched out of the house all wearing green on green, as the sun shone on them. By the tractor, Becca, Tommy and Steve all gave approving nods and thumbs ups.

Lloyd grinned excitedly, "We all look so cool right now! I feel like we're in Mervyn's commercial!"

---//\\---

"Is this cattle trailer safe?" Zane yelped, holding on for dear life. Pixal waved her arm around freely, "Who cares, it's fun!" The ride was bumpy, and they were all over the place.

"Yeah, it's terrifying, but it doesn't matter, since we are almost near the airport!" Kai reassured. From outside, sirens of a police car could be heard. The Red Ninja groaned, "No! Why?! Just because we're eleven people standing in the back of a cattle car?"

---//\\---

"I don't care about that." The police officer stated, "We got a tip saying that there were drugs being moved in the back of a grey bovine transport unit." He strode off. Wu massaged the bridge of his nose, "Well, this is terrible."

Kai frowned, "Wait, who called this tip in?"

Wu quickly stated, "It's impossible to say."

"They said the drugs were in the back of a bovine transport unit. Who calls it that?"

Wu shrugged, "Everyone, that's what they're called." Kai glanced up, narrowed his eyes and frowned at the elderly mentor, "Yeah...if you're a robot, and Zane and Pixal are the only robots I know. Bovine. Transport. Unit. Meep morp. Zeep."

"This is preposterous!" Wu spluttered, "What are you implying?" Kai looked at Zane, "Let me see your phone, I wanna see your call history."

"No."

"I wanna see it." He ran forward, and Zane pushed Kai off him, but failed as Kai grabbed the phone from the nindroid's pocket, "Ah-ha! Twenty five minutes ago, an outgoing call to 999." He glowered at Wu, "You got Zane to sabotage us! Cole, would you do the honours?"

Cole looked at Wu, "WHY!?" He yelled.

---//\\---

Nya slipped her hands in her pockets, "You called the cops on us?"

"I don't know how this happened," Wu lied, "Perhaps Zane butt-dialed it?"

"If I remember correctly, you asked me to call the police so you could converse with them." Zane stated.

"Liar!" Kai yelped, pointing at Wu accusingly, "The reason you said you knew you'd never become Mayor is 'cause you were making sure of it! You've been sabotaging us from the beginning! You drove by Nakatomi Plaza on purpose, didn't you? You knew I would see it and go insane and have to go inside, and then you trapped us in, didn't you? Didn't you??"

"Fine, I did."

FLASHBACK

"Over here is the elevator where McClane put the 'now I have a machine gun, ho ho ho' down. Take my picture with it!" As Kai went crazy, Wu noticed the bucket propping the door open. Making sure nobody noticed, he kicked it away, closing the door.

END FLASHBACK

"And there were plenty of rental cars at the airport, weren't there?" Kai interrogated.

"Hundreds."

"And you broke the speedometer. What else? Did you somehow force Cole to stink up the RV so we'd have to stop more often?"

"It wasn't difficult."

FLASHBACK

"Three corndogs for 99 cents? Who could possibly eat three corndogs and has a dollar?" Wu murmured to himself. At that moment, Cole pulled out a dollar bill from his wallet.

END FLASHBACK

Kai gaped at Wu, "Oh my God. Did you blow up the creeper?!"

"Not on purpose." He protested. Everyone groaned in annoyance, "Once I realised Jay's revolting cheese puffs were made with some extremely unstable chemicals, I deposited a few in the gas tank. I thought they'd shut the engine down, not ignite it. You really shouldn't eat those, Jay."

"Don't tell me what to do, saboteur!" Jay yelped, "How dare you make me upset while I'm wearing this outfit? Look, we've been busting our asses the whole weekend to try and get you back in Ninjago City in time, and for what? Is it all a lie? Is there even a Mayor's meeting? Are you even Master Wu? Do you even have a chicken named Chicken?"

"There's a Mayor's meeting and I do have a chicken named Chicken!"

"Then why'd you do it?" Kai inquired.

Wu sighed, "I'm compromised. I made a decision a while ago, and now some people are holding it above my head. I'm afraid of what they'll ask me to do if I become Mayor."

"You're compromised? How did this happen, Mr Prevailing-Traffic-And-Road-Conditions?"

"It doesn't matter-"

"Ronin Pawners." Pixal spoke up, "Ronin Pawners, the thief. He offered me info that would help you when Lloyd was under Morro's possession, in exchange for a favour. And Wu told me to turn it down, because he said it was too risky. But you didn't turn it down, did you, Master?"

Wu sighed again, "No I did not."

"Wait...so you risked everything to help us fight Evil Morro, when he possessed Lloyd?" Kai asked. Wu nodded, and Kai's eyes widened, "Oh my God, you did all of this for us? I love you, Da-aster. Daster. It's the cool new way of saying Master It's from the world of hip-hop. Love you." Kai sniffled.

"Master, why didn't you tell us?" Lloyd asked.

"I didn't want any of you entangled in this. This is my decision, and it's also my responsibility."

"Master, with all due respect," Kai started, "the first thing that you taught me when I became a ninja was that we're a team. So your responsibility is my responsibility too."

"And mine." Cole spoke up.

"Me too."

"Same here."

Everyone murmured agreements following Kai's statement. Skylor placed her hands on her hips, "You're gonna take that meeting, you're gonna get the job, and you're gonna become Mayor, and we'll all figure out what to do about Ronin."

Wu smiled, "I'm touched...but it's too late, we've missed the cargo plane. And now there's no way to get back in time for me to make it to the meeting."

"No there isn't." Seliel said. She looked over at the female nindroid, "Pixal?"

"Whaddup, bro?"

"I need you to climb back up on that strungness ladder, and I need you to climb pretty high." Pixal straightened up, "How high?"

"Remember that time we went to the deli for cold cuts, and the ticket machine was broken, so you found out what time everyone arrived and made them get in a single-file line from earliest to latest?"

"Yeah..."

"Higher."

"Copy that." She inhaled sharply, and screamed out, as she slapped herself, shrieking like a banshee

Seliel nudged Wu, "You might wanna stand back for this."

Pixal whipped out a map, "All right, you mooks. Our union health plan has a 100% reimbursement for out-of-state ambulance rides. Morro will fake a medical emergency. You call an ambulance, and have it take us here, to Pawners' Ville, Stiix. The ambulance can drive 25 miles over the posted speed limit, so we'll get there by 9pm. There's a small airport there, mostly servicing crop dusters, of course, they can't take passengers, but thanks to a loophole in H.R . 377551, first line defenders are allowed to commandeer any plane in the interest of national security. The crop duster will land at an airstrip outside of Bonesville, Nom. We'll take a cab to Terra Domina, jump on the 6:48am train to Ninjago City, arriving at 9:26. Misako will meet us at Yin Station with a fresh robe. From there it's a twenty nine minute cab ride to the Mayor's office, you change on the way, and we should get to your meeting with five minutes to spare." She inhaled and exhaled sharply, as everyone applauded her plan. She whipped around, "Stop clapping, you idiots! We gotta move, move move!"

Everyone scrambled, "That's my girl!" Zane yelped.

---//\\---

It was Monday morning, at 9:55am, as they arrived outside the Mayor's office. Seliel threw her arms up excitedly, "We did it! We actually did it!"

"Kai, thank you, for not quitting on me." Kai shook Wu's hand, "Of course, Sensei. Go get em'!" Cole jumped forward, "Wait, just one more thing!" He held out a small packet. Wu tilted his head, "Your first-class mint? I know how important this is to you."

Cole smiled, "You know what really makes a trip first class? It's not the extra leg room, or the complimentary drinks-"

Jay cut him off, "Actually, Cole, we don't really have time for a speech right now."

Cole nodded, "Fine, your breath stinks, just eat it and go!" Popping the mint in his mouth, Wu raced in.

---//\\---

Now, they were waiting for Wu, at Laughy's Bar.

"It's good to be home." Cole announced, as they all held up bottles of beer. Kai raced forward, "Uh-buh-buh-buh! Drink this instead." He held up a fancy glass. Cole grinned, "A mimosa!"

"Made with first class champagne! That's the brand name. I hope it's good." Cole took a sip, and gagged, before putting on a fake smile, "Hell yeah!"

Kai grinned, "Really?"

"No, it's horrible, but I really appreciate the thought!"

By the counters, Nya joined Lloyd.

"Hey."

"Hey." She looked at her best friend, "So, I didn't say anything about being bi because I didn't think it was anyone's business. And I didn't want anything to change." She admitted. Lloyd nodded understandingly, "I get it. I'm sorry I was so nosy."

Nya smiled, "It actually felt really good to tell somebody on the team, finally. I'm glad it was you."

"Alright." They clinked bottles and Nya added on, "Also, now we go back to never talking about my love life again."

"Uh, request denied. Is her name Anne? Meredith? Kim? Erica? Moana?"

"Master Wu!" Jay cheered. The elderly man grinned, "It's official. My name is in the hat for Mayor."

Everyone cheered. Wu accepted a cup of tea, "I still don't know how we're gonna deal with the Ronin compilation."

Jay beamed, "Two words: laser jails. But, you know, we'll figure it out."

"TO THE WAY BACK!" Cole yelled.

Everyone followed after, "TO THE WAY BACK!"

This took way too long. I cba to update tonight, sorry!