The atmosphere inside Krypterium was tense and tight. Everyone felt different emotions while they all watched as Nya Smith was brought to her cell.

She herself felt all eyes on her. Especially five pairs that she had yearned for.

"We should have expected this one to follow their example," the guard, who was holding her by her left elbow, said, his Scottish accent thick and pronounced.

Nya side-eyed him but kept quiet. Starting a fight with a guard in her first few minutes in that prison was not on her mental list.

Her brown eyes observed the two guards at the front. One of them had some keys in his hand that he used on the cell that was meant to be hers.

She walked into it willingly and held out her arms so that the guard could take off her handcuffs. Her ankle shackles came off next before the cell door was locked again.

"Attention," a voice boomed through a megaphone. It was the boss of the facility so everybody looked up at him as he looked down at everyone from his place on top of the tower in the middle of the circular building.

"Since we now have all six of our former ninja in here, we will need to make some changes regarding eating times," he said before he pulled out a folder. "Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, Jay Walker, Kai Smith, Cole Brookstone and Zane Julien will be eating their three meals at their regular times, meaning six a.m., twelve p.m. and eight p.m., together with..." The man listed off uncountable more names that were supposed to eat at their normal times as well.

"Nya Smith and..." He counted off another chunk of names that were supposed to dine together, "will eat when the other ninja are back in their cells again, which is exactly thirty minutes after their round. The reasoning behind this is so that the ninja will obviously not be able to communicate with one another. Mayor Trustable's orders. That is it for now."

With that being said, the man disappeared inside the tower.

Nya immediately looked away from the tower and glanced ahead, and like the lucky woman she was, the others were right across from her.

They were all basically glued to the bars as they looked back at her longingly. She even saw Kai and Jay rubbing their eyes and Lloyd visibly sniffing.

A smile appeared on her face, her own eyes watering a little. She walked up to her own bars and held on to them, copying their actions.

She waved at them, and they immediately waved back, making her laugh.

"Well, well. Who do we have here?"

Nya's smile disappeared when she realized that the annoying, high-pitched voice came from within her cell. She turned around.

"Violet," she said, sounding a little surprised about finding out about her new cellmate.

Ultra Violet was sitting on the top bunk of the bunk bed that was pushed up against the left wall side. The bed beneath was empty, as well as the other bunk beds in the cell.

"It's Ultra Violet to you," the woman corrected. She was looking down at her nails instead of Nya. "What a nice surprise to see you. In here."

Nya rolled her eyes. "What can I say? I've crossed over to the dark side."

Ultra Violet let out a loud, amused bark as she spared Nya a look before jumping down to the floor. She came to stand in front of her, their heights almost the exact same.

Nya held her head high, staring straight into her dark brown eyes. Her lids were covered in the signature purple that was the same color as her lipstick and her clothes. But since she was an inmate, she was no longer wearing purple but the same black-and-white-striped attire, just like Nya.

The two stared each other down for a while before Ultra Violet scoffed and walked back to her bed. Nya gave her a weirded out look and turned back around. Just then, many guards began to unlock the cells of the handpicked inmates that were now meant to eat their breakfast.

The second the ninjas' cell was opened, Jay rushed out and ignored all warnings when he tried to run across the room to Nya's cell. She herself was trying to coax him out of it, but he wasn't listening to anyone other than the little voice in his head that was telling him to get to his girl.

That action itself caused two guards to catch him a few feet away from Nya's cell. Ultra Violet even came to stand next to Nya as she, too, wanted to know what was going on.

"Let me go!" Jay yelled at the men, trying to escape their grasp, which was in vein.

When one of the guards pulled out his taser, all alarm bells rang in Nya's head. She needed to get her boyfriend straight before his urges would cause him more harm than good.

"Jay!" she yelled, banging on the bars of her cell to create more noise. "Jay, stop!"

That seemed to get through to him because he stopped moving and just stared at her.

"Jay! You are going to cooperate now," she said slowly and carefully, making sure that his entire attention was on her. The guards were looking at her too, so the taser was a bit away from Jay's body. "Eat your food with the others. You've waited for this long to see me, you can wait a little longer, okay?"

Jay reluctantly agreed, nodding.

Nya then turned to the guard with the taser. "And you're going to put that damn thing down before I break open this cell and come for you."

"Yes, ma'am." He put it away.

"Good." Nya let go of the bars when Jay walked over to the line of waiting prisoners to get his breakfast.

She sat down on the floor and observed what was in front of her. Kai, Cole and Zane already had their food and were now sitting at a table. They were talking amongst themselves while glancing at her every now and then. Lloyd was just getting his food dumped onto his tray, and Jay had just come to stand in line, so he had to wait to get his food.

Ultra Violet sat down next to Nya, earning a bewildered look from her. The two stayed quiet though.

— — — —

"So... this just happened," Cole began with a smile on his face. "I really wasn't expecting this."

"Yeah," Kai said slowly, looking over at his sister.

"You don't sound so happy about seeing her again."

"Yeah, well, how would you feel if you had a sister and suddenly saw her going to prison?" Kai asked sarcastically.

Yes, he was more than happy to see her again, but the circumstances in which that happened were more than unwanted.

"What, do you guys think, could she have possibly done to get in here?" Lloyd asked as soon as he sat down next to Kai.

"Something bad considering this is where Ninjago's super criminals are at," Cole said. "Probably killed someone."

Kai threw him a warning look.

"I don't think she would go that far, Cole," Zane said, participating in the conversation.

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed. "She probably did something that's still redeemable."

The four stopped talking when Jay joined them, taking a seat next to Cole.

"Why is she in here?" the Blue Ninja asked, ignoring his food to look at her.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic about seeing her again," Cole stated, taking a bite of his bread. It was rock hard but still better than nothing.

"Can you blame me?" Jay turned to him. "Seeing her in prison in the role of a prisoner was not something I wanted to see."

"Agreed," Kai said, finally diving into his own food.

"Whatever she did," Lloyd said quietly, "I don't think she's here without a plan."

The others smiled at each other, all thinking the same thing.

— — — —

The thirty minutes went by impossibly slowly. When everyone from the first round was securely in their cells, the second round began.

Nya took her time in going to the line to wait for her food. Instead, she looked around. Her feet were shackled for obvious reasons but her hands were free, so she enjoyed that small spark of freedom she had.

The people who were already sitting at their tables were silently eating their food. In fact, the loudest voices in the room were whispers, which was weird considering it had been quite loud when the first round was eating.

Nya made her way over to the food cart and grabbed herself a tray. She came to stand at the end of the line but was shocked when the guy in front of her stepped to the side.

"You can go ahead."

She looked at him and recognized him. It was a thug she had brought to Krypterium several years ago. Why was a guy, who she was the reason for his imprisonment for, allowing her to cut in line?

"No, thank you," she said. "I'm good."

"No, no," the guy in front of the guy said. "Please, go on. It's fine."

With wide eyes, Nya slowly walked ahead. Just as she was about to thank the two, the woman in front of her allowed her to go on as well, stepping to the side.

"Oh, um. Thank you."

The man in front of the woman allowed her to cut in front of him too. It went on like that, with each person warmly telling her she could go ahead, until she stood in front of the lunch lady.

"Hello." The woman smiled. "Is there anythin' you like?"

"Um." Nya looked at her limited options, which consisted of bread with yoghurt and an unappealing salad. "Do you have any fruits or vegetables?"

"I'm afraid not, hun. The sucker over there took the last apple," the lady answered, pointing at a buff man who was walking away from the line.

"That's okay," Nya said. "I'll take the bread and yoghurt then."

After getting her food and glass of tap water, Nya turned away from the line, not before thanking the lunch lady for the food and the people for letting her get her food first, and looked around.

Each set of tables and benches was occupied with at least two people that Nya was not willing to sit with, so she was relieved when one table was empty.

As she was walking over to it, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and recognized the man.

"Here," he said, giving her the apple he had just taken. "You can have it." His voice was gruff and to outsiders a reason for not talking to him, but Nya could feel that he was not very sociable to begin with.

She shook her head. "No, it's yours. I don't really-"

"Just take it," he insisted. He put the red apple on her tray before she could say anything else. Turning around, he walked over to his own table.

"Oh." Nya looked down at the apple. "Thank you."

The guy acknowledged her gratuity with a lazy wave that he offered her without looking at her. She took that as her sign to keep going to her own table.

"Come on! You give your apple to her when she didn't even ask for it, and when I wanted it you acted like a jerk?" Kai yelled at the guy, making his friends and his sister laugh. "It's not funny!"

Sitting down, Nya lifted her eyes and saw that she was sitting right across from the others. They were still standing close to the bars.

Even though she was ecstatic about seeing them again, she had to keep her distance from them, hoping they'd do the same. But based on Jay's earlier actions, it was going to be harder than expected.

Nya picked up the bread and sighed. It felt like she was holding a rock. She even tested it by knocking on her tray with it. When she bit into it, it was like biting into, you guessed it, a rock.

The guys laughed at her predicament but stopped when she narrowed her eyes at them.

As she picked up the apple, she heard footsteps approaching her. She looked up and saw Killow and Fugi-Dove sitting down on the bench in front of her, making her widen her eyes.

"Uh-"

"Hey Smithy," Ultra Violet greeted her, sitting down next to her. They all put their trays on the table. "You're sitting at our table."

Nya was ready to snap back and tell her she had been there first, but upon further thinking, she grabbed her tray and stood up, ready to go back to her cell and eat her breakfast there.

Before she could get away, Ultra Violet put her hand on her arm and stopped her from moving any further. "I never told you to leave, Smith."

Nya glanced at her warily. This was the woman who had once fought against her and her family alongside Garmadon, wanting to destroy Ninjago.

She threw a glance at the guys and found them talking to each other whilst glaring at the three at her table. Kai firmly shook his head so Nya did the reasonable thing of not listening to him and sat back down.

"What's going on?" Nya asked them, not taking any time beating around the bush. "Why is everyone nice to me?"

"You were the hot topic here for a while," Ultra Violet said.

"I was?"

"Yeah," Killow answered, his voice somehow deeper than before. "The stunt you pulled last year made you very popular."

Nya's eyebrows lifted. "Why? There's no way that the floods reached Krypterium, so me saving Ninjago didn't even benefit anyone in here."

"You don't get it," Ultra Violet gritted through her teeth. "Everyone respects you in here because you saved Ninjago by sacrificing yourself. There ain't nobody doin' that with a sane mind."

"That still doesn't explain why everyone in here cares about-"

"Nya. We may all be criminals in here but we still have our families that live in Ninjago. And some of us may be heartless or whatever, but nothing compares to possibly losing your family. You saved our families. That's why you're respected."

Blinking, Nya looked down at her tray, not knowing what to say. She had expected to be treated roughly in Krypterium since she was a ninja and the reason most people were in there, but being respected by those same people was... refreshing to know.

"Don't get sappy now, man," Ultra Violet warned her. "We still don't like you."

"Ah, yes." Nya nodded slowly. "Do you guys have a family?"

If she was going to be on speaking terms with past villains, why not have some small talk while she could?

Killow, Fugi-Dove and Ultra Violet eyed each other, and Nya could see they were still wary about talking to their enemy.

"I have a family," Killow stated. He grabbed his bread and banged it on the edge of the table, breaking it in half. "My Ma and my Pa are very dear to me."

Nya smiled softly. "That's sweet."

"I have two brothers," Fugi-Dove chimed in. "Well, technically three."

"Technically?"

"Yeah. Jay just won't accept it yet. But I won't hold it against him since he's also my arch-nemesis. We have a symbiotic relationship and all."

Nya choked on her breath. "That's... wow." She turned to the woman sitting next to her. "How about you?"

Ultra Violet side-eyed her and stayed quiet for a few seconds. "I've got a sister."

"That's nice," Nya said. "Well, I have a brother-"

"Are you serious right now?"

"-and a boyfriend and my parents, too. I also have three very weird people I consider my brothers as well."

Ultra Violet pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Actually," Nya said, looking at Fugi-Dove, "why are you in here? I know about you two," she pointed at Killow and Ultra Violet, "but I've never really met you before."

Fugi-Dove proudly flapped his fake feathers and smiled. "I am Fugi-Dove!" he chanted. "I am unstoppable!"

Nya blinked, unimpressed.

"Manslaughter," Ultra Violet answered the question instead, making Nya's mouth drop open in disbelief.

"No way."

"It was an accident, okay?" Fugi-Dove glared at his friend. "I didn't mean to throw a toaster into the guy's bathtub, it just happened to fall down while I was trying to drown him."

"Oh gosh."

"I mean, he didn't make it, that weakling, but I, being the best dove out there, only got out of it with a few puffed feathers."

"I don't even know what to say to that," Nya stated. She took a bite out of her apple.

"Then say nothing."

"You're very savage today, Violet." Nya slowly shook her head, feigning disappointment.

"When am I not? Also," Ultra Violet sized her up, "don't call me Violet, Smith."

"Then don't call me Smith, Violet."

The two narrowed their eyes at each other, the air around them tensing up. When Killow cleared his throat, they broke eye contact to look at him.

"Why are you here?"

"Yeah," Fugi-Dove said, "what did you do?"

Nya took another bite of her apple and watched the three. She refused to answer with her mouth full, so they had to wait for her to swallow.

"I punched Trustable."

Ultra Violet gaped at her. "You put your hands on the mayor?" Then she gave her an impressed look. "Didn't think you had it in ya, Smith."

"Why, thank you, Violet."

The rest of their breakfast time went by rather quickly. Conversation died down as the four concentrated on finishing their meals. Nya could feel the three throwing certain looks at one another but decided to ignore it.

After getting back into their cell, Nya and Ultra Violet wordlessly got into their beds. The first group was now free to go outside and into the backyard to play some basketball or just sit in the sun, so Nya didn't have the chance to ogle her friends from afar.

She felt bored so she rolled onto her side and glanced at her cellmate. Ultra Violet was lying in her bed and looking up at the ceiling. She almost looked at ease and at peace with herself, but Nya knew better than to assume anything about a person she knew nothing about.

"Violet?"

A scowl replaced the calm expression on Ultra Violet's face. She chose to ignore Nya.

"Violet."

She ignored her again.

"Vio-"

"What, Smith?" she asked, turning her head to let Nya see the anger in her eyes.

"Tell me more."

"About what?"

"Yourself," Nya suggested. "Your family. How your life was before you chose to go down the path you did."

Ultra Violet's eyebrows creased. "Why would you out of all people care about someone like me?" The snappiness was blatantly evident in her tone.

Nya shrugged. "Maybe I'm interested in the person you are. Besides, I'm going to be here for a while, so I might as well get to know my cellmate."

Ultra Violet narrowed her eyes as she thought about it. She was still trying to come to terms with having a ninja as her cellmate, and now she was interested in her personal life?

Sighing, the former villain opened her mouth.