As Mr. Pale lead everyone to see if Tox knew any good places to hide, Dareth informed Lloyd, "Have you seen the news lately? Ol' Garmy's first act as Emperor was to outlaw the color green. Seriously, out of all the new the laws he could've made, he chose to ban green! That dude really has it out for you."

    'Yes he does' thought Lloyd sadly. He said out loud, "Yeah, along with the entire Sons of Garmadon gang." He examined his surroundings and was mildly surprised by how... rough Mr. Pale's neighborhood appeared. He could get how Tox lived around here but he never would've guessed that Mr. Pale lived here too.

    "Tox practically blew up when she heard Garmadon's new law. I was barely able to rescue the TV from her wrath," laughed Mr. Pale. "She claims she'll never dye her hair a different color and there's nothing we can do about her green eyes. With the new law, she'll be arrested if she goes out. That's the main reason she wasn't with me and the kids today."

    "You live with Tox?" asked Skylor. Surprise was evident in her voice.

    "Yeah, we're really close friends. We both... have a history together and we both look really weird so it's hard for us to find good jobs. It just made sense for us to share an apartment and split the rent," explained Mr. Pale. He opened the door to an apartment complex that looked the worse for wear.

    "Yikes! This place needs a serious makeover. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies," commented Dareth as he looked around. He didn't mean any offense by it but he got a few looks from the others that said "mind your manners." 

    Mr. Pale started to feel self-conscious and nervous laugh. "Uh, well, it's the best we can do and we manage to get by."

    Mystaké gave Dareth a sharp tap on the back of his head with her cane for making Mr. Pale feel ashamed and embarrassed.

    As Mr. Pale was unlocking his apartment room, a brutish man with a jagged scar on his throat walked by. He eyed the group with suspicion as he walked into his own apartment. Mystaké shot the man a dark look of her own and was tempted to smack him with her cane.

    "Lloyd, I would suggest we get outta as soon as possible. I don't like the look of that guy," whispered Ronin. Lloyd nodded in agreement. It felt risky to be hanging around. Plus, if this guy made Ronin feel uneasy then it probably meant that this guy was pretty bad.

    As the group filed into the apartment, they quickly and awkwardly averted their eyes to the side, floor, or ceiling. Shade and Tox were sitting on the couch while kissing each other passionately. 

    Mr. Pale gave a loud cough and said a humor filled voice, "Are you two done? We've got guests."

    For Mr. Pale, it was extremely hilarious how Shade and Tox jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly moved away from each other. 

    Tox looked up and saw the visitors. She let out a few curses before yelling at Mr. Pale. "Luka! What the heck is going on?!" She and Shade felt really embarrassed that a bunch of people had just walked in on their make out session.

    "Luka? Who's that?" blurted Dareth in surprise. Everyone else just stood there in astonishment. They were learning a lot about Mr. Pale.

    "Oh, did you think my name was actually Mr. Pale or Paleman?" asked Luka in genuine interest. He turned and addressed Tox, "Lloyd is raising a rebellion. Do you know any places that could make a good base?"

    "A rebellion? Cool," commented Tox. "I know there's an abandoned nuclear power plant not far from here that's easily defensible and easy to escape from if need be. I also bet the thick metal walls on it would make it difficult for that evil android thing to track you. Does that sound like something you might be interested in?" 

    "That sounds perfect!" exclaimed Lloyd. "Could you take us there?"

    "Oh, I'll do more than take you there. Me and Shade will join your little rebellion," volunteered Tox. "It's not as if we've got anything better to do."

    Lloyd looked overjoyed. "Really? That's great! Thank you so much. Your help has been invaluable."

    Mr. Pale and Tox gathered a few of their belongings and offered the little bit of food they had to the rebellion.

    "Ugh, guys, I think you should come see this," groaned Shade as he stared out the window. 

    When Lloyd peeked out the window, he was certain that his heart stoped beating for a full minute. Ultra Violet along with a large band of about thirty bikers was right outside the apartment complex and talking to the man with the scar on his neck.

    "Of course Greg would be the one to sell us out," muttered Tox angrily. "When I get through with him, he'll have an even bigger hole in his neck."

    Greg pointed up towards their window. Ultra Violet gave a cruel smile when she caught sight of Lloyd. She raised a black object and pointed it at him. Lloyd couldn't make out what she was holding, but Shade apparently could because he loudly ordered everyone, "Get down now! They've got guns!"

    Everyone threw themselves against the floor just in time. Bullets whizzed by, right above their heads. 

    "Why do they have guns now?!" cried Dareth in a panicked voice.

    "Everyone! Try and crawl towards the door," instructed Nya forcefully over the sound of the gunfire. 

    Ronin was the first to reach the door. When he reached for the doorknob, a bullet came shooting by and grazed his hand. Blood streamed from the wound and he gritted his teeth in pain but still managed to open the door. "Let's go! Move it people!"

    Suddenly, the gunshots ceased and Shade cautiously glanced out the window. "There coming this way! Hurry up and get into the hallway!" 

    Once they all made it out into the hallway, they found themselves face to face with a small group of tough looking thugs.

    "With all this reward money, I'ma be set for life!" sneered one of the thugs.

    Tox and Mr. Pale marched in front of Lloyd's group and got right in the thugs' faces.

    "Get outta the way!" ordered Tox fiercely. "Or else I'll do Ninjago a favor and melt your ugly faces off!"

    Mr. Pale cracked his knuckles and stood there, silently challenging any of the men to try him.

    The thugs looked unsure of what to do. They really wanted the reward money, but they genuinely feared Tox and Mr. Pale. While they were thinking about what to do, Tox created a large gas cloud and threw it at them. The thugs fell to the floor like rag dolls. 

    "Come on!" urged Mr. Pale as he started running down the hallway.

    As they ran, Lloyd caught up to Tox and ran beside her. He tentatively asked her, "You didn't kill them, right?"

    Tox laughed and answered him. "No, they aren't that bad. But they will wake up with huge headaches."

    When they reached the door to the fire escape, Mr. Pale kicked it open. Gunshots rang out and he fell back just in time to avoid getting shot.

    "Life was less complicated when they didn't have guns," observed Nya with a deep frown on her face. "How are we going to get out of here?"

    Lloyd stared at Mr. Pale or Luka or... whatever he preferred to be called. A plan started to form in his mind. "They can't shoot at what they can't see. Mr. Pale, you said you've learned some new tricks. Are you able to bend the light around all of us to make us invisible?"

     Mr. Pale nodded and almost instantly, everyone vanished except for Shade. Apparently, Mr. Pale expected him to use his own Element because Shade disappeared into his own shadow a few moments later.

    "Everyone, go down the fire escape as stealthily as possible," instructed Lloyd.

    "And please do it as quickly as possible," added Mr. Pale in a strained voice.

    The group collectively held their breath as they climbed down the fire escape and slipped past the Sons of Garmadon. Once they made it safely behind a building, Mr. Pale quit using his Element.

    Mr. Pale sank to the ground and exclaimed tiredly, "Wow, that really takes the energy out of a person."

    "You okay?" asked Tox.

    Mr. Pale took in a deep breath and answered, "Yeah, but can we please not run for a while?" 

    As they walked away from the besieged apartment building, they heard Ultra Violet's loud voice shouting at her subordinates, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE GONE?! HOW COULD THEY ESCAPE FROM US?!"

    "LLOYD! KNOW THAT WHEREVER YOU GO AND NO MATTER HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU GET, THE SONS OF GARMADON WILL FIND YOU," roared Ultra Violet into the wind. She let out her trademark laugh that sent chills up the spine of Lloyd and his allies.

    "Ugh," shivered Ronin. "That lady gives me the creeps." Everyone else definitely agreed with him.

    For the most part, the journey to the abandoned nuclear plant was uneventful and they only had to make a few detours due to the Sons of Garmadon. The most interesting thing that happened was Pixal having to practically tackle Ronin and pin him to the floor in order to clean and bandage his hand. That was a moment that Nya would not let Ronin forget anytime soon.

    "So, what do you think?" questioned Tox as she flung open the door to the empty nuclear plant.

    It was cold and dark, but it had plenty of space for many more people to join them. It also had a bunch of security cameras in place that appeared to still be in good working order. 

    "A few renovations could take place," noted Pixal. "Overall though, this place is most excellent."

    "Is something wrong, Lloyd?" asked Nya when she noticed his solemn expression.

    "Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about stuff," replied Lloyd vaguely.

    "What kind of 'stuff'?" pressed Nya.

    "It's just that, uh, Skylor, Tox, Mr. Pale, I'm really sorry that your places got destroyed because of us being there. Wherever we go, the Sons of Garmadon are never too far behind. It's only a matter of time before they come here and blow this place up," sighed Lloyd. "I hate all of this running. I don't want anyone getting hurt because they helped us. We've already gotten two places trashed and it's only been a little over half a day!"

    Tox and Mr. Pale shrugged. They didn't have much to lose, so they didn't really care about losing their crummy apartment. While Skylor was slightly annoyed at the loss of her noodle shop, she definitely would have rather let it get destroyed than let Lloyd and Nya be captured.

    "So, instead of running, we should stand our ground. We should fight them!" urged Nya. While she had slightly calmed down from her earlier rage, she still wanted to get revenge on the Sons of Garmadon and hoped that Lloyd would want to help. 

    "No! They are utilizing guns now which places us at an even more significant disadvantage," argued Pixal. 

    "Remember, one can build a mountain by collecting specks of dust. Though the victory you seek appears to be out of reach, be patient. Little by little, you will grow stronger and gain the power to resist Garmadon," assured Mystaké.

    "How can we grow if the Sons of Garmadon continually chase after us?" questioned Lloyd in misery.

    "You are the hunted, you must endure," replied Mystaké simply. Then she forcefully grabbed Lloyd's face and motioned wildly around her with her cane. "And were you not listening to me earlier?! Look around! You now have a base and despite almost getting your head blown off, you have gained two more allies. Your fortune is coming true even if you do not realize it. Today, you are rising from the ashes just like a Phoenix."

    "I don't want innocent people losing their homes because of us," worried Lloyd. "If they join our rebellion, they'll most likely end up with their belongings getting destroyed."

    "Shops and homes can be rebuilt. People fight Sons of Garmadon because they care for freedom," came a very familiar accented voice from the doorway. Karlof continued talking, "Karlof cares. Karlof wants to join rebellion."

    At the Karlof's appearance and declaration of commitment, Mystaké gave Lloyd a pointed look as if to say "see, I told you so. There's another person".

    "Karlof! How did you find us?" asked Lloyd happily.

    "Little children tell Karlof Green Ninja is ready to fight Sons of Garmadon," replied Karlof. "Karlof ready to crush bad men!"

    "Good, 'cuz there's a lot of bad people who need defeating and we need all the help we can get," grinned Lloyd. "Skylor, how long will our supplies last?"

    "Well, I originally brought enough to last us about two weeks, but we gave some of it away and more people have joined us. I say we have enough to last us four days, five at most," answered Skylor.  

    "Okay, that's good enough. Right now, the Sons of Garmadon seem intent on capturing us, so I want all of us to lay low for a few days," announced Lloyd.

    "I suggest we begin to clean and create this place into a suitable base," advised Pixal.

    Everyone agreed and the rest of the day was spent cleaning the old nuclear plant, but they didn't make it too clean because they didn't want to draw attention to it. Nya and Pixal managed to get the electricity to work in a few needed areas of the building and repaired the security cameras. When night fell, almost everyone had no trouble falling straight to sleep. Since there were no proper beds, everyone just lay sprawled out wherever they deemed comfortable.

    Lloyd, on the other hand, tossed and turned. Even though the ground was cold and hard, he knew he should be exhausted from the day's events, but something seemed to be keeping him from relaxing. After a few minutes of trying to sleep, he gave up and decided to take a short stroll around the plant. 

    "Lloyd? Are you okay? Where are you going?" whispered Misako. 

    "Oh, mom. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," apologized Lloyd quietly. "I couldn't sleep so I was just going to take a quick walk." The look on his mother's face told him that both of them needed to have a serious talk with each other so he motioned for both of them to move into the next room where no one was sleeping. 

    "Are you okay though?" inquired Misako worriedly. "Today has been really rough, and I want to know how you are doing."

    That direct question really caught Lloyd off guard. In all the chaos of the day, he didn't have time to think about his emotions or what was happening. He just had to act fast and hope that he didn't get killed. Now that everything had calmed down, he had time to sit and think. 

    "Ummm, I don't know how I feel. Everything's been happening so fast that I haven't had time to feel anything," answered Lloyd honestly. Misako gave him a concerned look and patiently waited for him to sort out his emotions.

    Suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes and he felt one powerful emotion hit him. Fear. He embraced his mother and cried on her shoulder.

    "I'm really scared," he sniffled. "I wish that Master Wu and my brothers were here. I miss Uncle's kind and wise words, Jay's witty and annoying humor, Zane's calm and protective character, Kai's loving and fiery passion, and Cole's brave and firm determination. I want to make them proud of me even though they're gone. The responsibility of saving Ninjago rests on me. I have to be a strong leader but I don't even have my Element anymore. I'm powerless. What if I mess up and destroy Ninjago instead of saving it?"

    "Lloyd, I'm positive that Wu and your brothers would be so proud of you. It's only been one full day since their death and you have already managed to find a base and started to build a small militia. You have managed to stay strong in spite of all the chaos. Your inner strength is what makes you powerful, not your Element. No matter what happens, know that I will always be proud of you and support you. You will always be a hero in my eyes," comforted Misako.

    Lloyd wiped his eyes and looked at his mother. He gave her a small smile. "Thanks. I'm still going to take a walk." He planted a quick kiss on her cheek and said, "Love you. Goodnight, mom."

    "I love you too, son," answered Misako affectionately as she placed a light kiss on his forehead. "I hope you get some sleep soon."

    "I will," promised Lloyd. He turned and started his quiet walk around the large building. Soon, Lloyd found himself standing on the roof of the building. He was careful to position himself so that he could not be seen by anyone but was still able to get a full view of New Ninjago City. Even in shambles, there was no denying that New Ninjago City was still beautiful. Looking at it reminded Lloyd why he fought so hard. 

    Lloyd jumped when Pixal walked up next to him and spoke, "It is quite beautiful. Is it not?"

    "Oh Pixal! Wha—What are you doing up here?" sputtered Lloyd in surprise.

    "Apologies, Master Lloyd. I did not intend to frighten you. I could not help but notice your earlier behavior and your discussion with your mother. I came to see if you are feeling well," explained Pixal. When she noticed the confused look on Lloyd's face, she added, "You assigned me to the security cameras tonight."

    Lloyd looked a bit embarrassed by the fact that Pixal had witnessed his moment of vulnerability with his mother. "Oh yeah. Right. Um, I guess I feel... okay?" He gave a sad sigh. "It terrifies me that all of Ninjago is counting on me."

    "Do not fail to recall the fact that Nya is still at your side," reminded Pixal. "There is no need for you to bear the pressure of leadership all alone." 

    Lloyd gave a small flinch at the mention of Nya's name. "Honestly, I'm really concerned about Nya. The way she snapped at everyone this morning was unnerving. I don't want her to become bitter and vengeful like... H—Harumi." He couldn't hardly stand to say her name.

    "I too share your concerns," expressed Pixal. "My sensors indicate extremely high levels of rage and anguish from Nya. There is also an underlying wave of hostility from Skylor. From you, Master Lloyd, I sense much anxiety."

    A sarcastic chuckle escaped from between Lloyd's lips. "Yep. That pretty much sums up all our emotions. Say hello to what's left of Ninjago's heroes."

    "It is natural to experience a period of mourning. I am quite certain that Nya will feel better tomorrow," encouraged Pixal.

    Lloyd carefully examined Pixal. She showed no indication of how she felt even though he knew that she must be feeling sad too. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

    For a split second, Pixal's stoic expression slipped and Lloyd realized that Harumi wasn't the only one who wore a mask. Lloyd worried for Pixal because, like Zane, she bottled up her emotions and tended to place everyone's needs above her own.

    "I am fine," answered Pixal in a clipped tone. 

    Lloyd wanted to challenge her claim but was interrupted by the loud roar of engines. The Sons of Garmadon were running rampant around the streets of Ninjago in search of him.

    "Perhaps it is best to return inside," suggested Pixal. She was pleased to find an excuse to escape from Lloyd's prying questions. "I must return to my post, and you should get some rest."

    "Okay," agreed Lloyd reluctantly. He was slightly annoyed by the fact that Pixal had found a way to evade further questioning, but sleepiness had finally hit Lloyd and he wanted to collapse. 

    Before Pixal could go to the security room, Lloyd warned her, "Don't think that we're done talking about how you feel."

    Pixal gave him a short nod and a small, forced smile. "Understood."

~~~~~~The Realm of Oni and Dragons~~~~~~

    "Out of all the pieces of the Bounty to get teleported with us, it just had to be the most useless room," complained Kai.

    "Yeah," agreed Cole. "I wish we got the kitchen or our bedrooms. Even the engine room would've been nice. Instead, we got the half of the training room. Half! It's not even a full room!"

    "You think this is Mystaké's way of telling us that we're fat and we need to exercise?" speculated Kai. Suddenly, he thought of something and freaked out. "What am I going to do?! I HAVE NO HAIR GEL!!!!!"

    Zane ignored Kai's outburst. "I must disagree with you. The training equipment is quite useful. At the moment, I am attempting to build a makeshift radio. I might have more success if someone were to assist me in assembling it." The last hint was mainly directed at Jay.

    "Life is horrible. We're going to die here. Isn't that just peachy? Losing hope makes life so much simpler," sighed Jay in a calm but absolutely insane voice. "Now quit bothering me. I have have to concentrate on beating this level." He was staring intently at a piece of wood while tapping on it as if it were a game console.

    "Uhhhhmmmmm... I'm pretty sure we can all say that Jay has officially lost it," commented Cole as he stared at Jay in alarm. 

    "I haven't lost it," argued Jay. He held up his piece of wood. "See, I just won this level!"

    "Yeah," cringed Kai. He turned to Zane and whispered in his audio receptors. "I don't think you need Jay's help." 

    Zane nodded in agreement and whispered back, "Jay's current mental state has me quite concerned."

    As Kai searched through the wreckage of the Destiny's Bounty, something shiny caught his eye. "Look!" he exclaimed happily. "I found foil! Yes!"

    Zane appeared to be highly pleased as he added the foil to what he hoped would be their means of communication with Ninjago.

    "I'm hungry," whined young Wu. 

    The sane ninja stopped what they were doing and shared a concerned look. 

    "Hey. Don't worry. How 'bout we go out and look for some food for everyone?" proposed Cole.

    "That's too much work," grumbled Wu.

    Cole shrugged and said with a mischievous look in his eye, "I guess you're right. We can always look for food tomorrow. I wasn't that hungry anyways."

    At the thought of spending the whole night without food, young Wu jumped up and began tugging on Cole's tattered gi. "Um, you know, Zane looks sorta hungry. Maybe we should go out and find some food. We wouldn't be very good teammates if we let him starve. Besides, we shouldn't put off until tomorrow, what can be done today."

    Cole, Kai, and Zane suppressed their grins. Wu was so cute and acted so differently as a child.

    As Cole and Wu went out, Zane cautioned them, "Please do not stray too far from the Destiny's Bounty. The sun is beginning to set."

    "Yes mother," answered Cole mockingly.

    Once Cole and Wu were out of sight, scratchy feedback from the radio caught Kai's and Zane's attention.

    "In place... mark... waylay."

    "Hey! Turn down the volume!" snapped Jay. "I'm trying to concentrate."

    "What are they saying, Zane?" asked Kai.

    "Mark is another term for target, and waylay means to ambush," defined Zane.

    Kai lit his fists on fire and looked around in search of any attackers. "What?! Where?!"

    "I am uncertain but I would advise that we quickly relocate," urged Zane nervously.

    Jay was still sane enough to pay attention to what was going on and was able to follow Zane and Kai as they all fled. Before any of the ninja could get very far though, chains came from seemingly nowhere and ensnared each of them.

    As Jay was being dragged off, he shouted angrily, "Wait! I didn't get to save my new level!"

Wow, this chapter turned out longer than I expected too! Thank you so much for all the reads! It looks like people are enjoying this. I would love to see some more comments and votes so that I know what you think. What was your favorite part of this chapter? 

    "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus." - Revelation 14:12 NIV