Ultra Violet and Mr.E tore through the foliage on their bikes, finally catching up with the others. She pulled up beside Harumi and Killow. "Why'd the Emperor tell us to come all the way out here?"

    "He needs us to retrieve the Realm Crystal," answered Harumi, already knowing what her next question would be.

    "Why?"

    "Because Emperor Garmadon needs it to fulfill his plans."

    "But why?"

    "I don't know," snapped the Quiet One.

    Ultra Violet shrugged and yawned. "Okay then. I just wanted to know 'cause I don't wanna be riding all night for nothin'." 

    "If it is for the Emperor, it is not for nothing," declared Harumi loyally.

    "Yeah, yeah. Whatever," huffed the purple general.

    "Alright, c'mon everybody. We're almost to Hiroshi's Labyrinth," announced Killow encouragingly. He revved his engine.

    "Ew, bugs," grimaced Skip Vicious. He'd swallowed his fair share of insects as a biker, but the jungle was filled with whole swarms of them. He'd better keep his mouth shut.

    Mr.E narrowed his eyes and tapped Harumi on the shoulder. He pointed to the earth beside their bikes.

    The Quiet One quickly picked up on what he was showing her. Someone had recently been through here before them. She gritted her teeth. "Lloyd."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Surprisingly, getting to Hiroshi's Labyrinth was, all in all, not as bad the Resistance had expected. Sure, Dareth complained about sore feet almost the entire way and Mystaké kept trying to order someone to carry her around because she was an "elder deserving of some respect." But overall, not a horrible journey.

    Somehow, Shade ended up being the unlucky one that was made to give the whining woman a piggyback ride for the majority of the journey.

    "How much farther?" groused Shade, adjusting his hold on Mystaké.

    "Yeah, this place is starting to annoy me," commented Skylor, combing yet another spiderweb out of her hair.

    Lloyd squinted into the thick foliage. "Um, Pix, are we going the right way?"

    To everyone's great concern, the Samurai simply shrugged from inside her mech. "I am not completely certain. Hiroshi's Labyrinth seems to be scrambling my navigation systems. I assumed you knew the Realm Crystal's whereabouts, considering you have navigated this jungle once before."

    Lloyd froze, his emerald green eyes meeting her vibrant green eyes. He had a strained smile on his face as he spoke. "Um, but that was a long time ago. I thought you knew where we were going."

    Pixal shook her head. "I was following your lead."

    Lloyd, along with the rest of the Resistance, stared with dumbfounded expressions.

    Finally, Ronin piped up, voicing what everyone was thinking, "So we're lost?!"

    Nya immediately intervened before panic could set in. "No! We're technically in the right area. We just need to find where Borg hid the Realm Crystal in here."

    "That could take forever," fretted Dareth. "Don't explorers come in here all the time and never come out?"

    "Don't think about that," admonished Nya.

    "So, um... where do we go now?" questioned Mr. Pale.

    Lloyd consulted with Pixal. Eventually, they settled upon heading approximately due East. As the Resistance trudged along, Skylor slowed her pace to walk beside Griffin who was lagging slightly.

    She checked up on the Master of Speed, concern apparent in her eyes. "How're you holding up?"

    "I'm... okay," sighed Griffin. His voice betrayed that he was slightly winded.

    "Y'know, if you need help or wanna hitch a ride on Pixal's mech, you can always ask," offered the Master of Amber concernedly. 

    Griffin's mismatched eyes flicked over to hers as he set his jaw and resolutely responded, "You got me into all this, so I'm not gonna quit 'til we've won or I'm dead."

    Skylor gave a small, tight-lipped smile. "I like your persistence, but seriously, don't hurt yourself." She motioned to everyone ambling ahead of them. "We may all be dead-tired, but that doesn't mean we won't be here to help lighten the load."

    She placed a hand on his shoulder, making him turn his head and fully look at her. "And listen, we're not going to die."

    The injured speedster nodded, though his face betrayed his doubt.

    The sudden roar of motorcycles and the wild cry of Ultra Violet from close behind caused major alarm to shoot through all Resistance members. The easy hiking pace was replaced by a frantic jog.

    "Go, go, go!" whisper-shouted Nya, pointing to a dense patch of jungle that would hopefully obstruct the Sons of Garmadon. 

    Everyone dove behind the thick foliage, trying to breath quietly and hoping the Sons of Garmadon wouldn't discover them.

    "Bolobo's Element sure would be useful now," muttered Skylor. She grimaced at the broken plants. They were practically giant neon signs that advertised their presence. Not to mention, the Samurai X Mech wasn't exactly subtle or well-hidden in the greenery.

    "What about us?" whispered Shade as he and Mr. Pale sidled up beside the Master of Amber.

    Skylor eyed them, asking lowly, "What about you two?"

    Shade gave her an irritated look. "We're Masters of illusion." To prove his point, he disappeared along with the Master of Light before quickly reappearing again. Finally, the orange-clad Elemental Master caught on, "Oh, gotcha."

    She poked both of them. Then, all three Elementals used their powers together to create a disguised bubble around the Resistance, covering all traces of their presence.

    The purr of the motorcycles grew closer. It was just their luck that the Sons of Garmadon slowed, stopping incredibly close by to where the Resistance was hidden.

    "What are you doing?" questioned Killow to Mr. E who had given the signal to halt. "We need to hurry and find the Realm Crystal."

    ".ereh railucep gnihtemos si erehT" reported the droid, carefully analyzing the surroundings.

    Killow was about to insist that they continue on when he caught Harumi's disapproving gaze. 

    "Let him check. I trust his instincts."

    Mr. E dismounted, stalking forward and staring intently at the area where the others hid.

    The Resistance fighters were much like small rabbits at this point, having to keep the nerve not to bolt and give away their position, hoping that their camouflage was enough.

    Much to Nya's great horror, Lloyd looked like he was about to sneeze. She firmly clasped a hand over his mouth. His emerald eyes started watering. Fortunately, the urge to sneeze passed and he relaxed. The Water Ninja hesitantly removed her hand. Both released quiet sighs of relief. 

    To the right of the pair, without warning, Mystaké let out the loudest sneeze ever. Startled birds flew from the treetops. For a split second, the Resistance froze, shooting wide-eyed, incredulous looks at the old woman. 

    "They're here! Get them!" commanded Harumi furiously, knowing exactly who was cowering nearby.

    Ultra Violet perked up, grinning maniacally. "Finally! The hunt is on!" She revved her engine and charged directly at the rebels' hiding spot.

    The illusion dropped, revealing the Resistance swiftly fleeing through the jungle.

    The Sons of Garmadon gave chase.

    Somehow, someway—probably thanks to overwhelming terror— Dareth managed to outpace everyone by a couple of lengths. Even the Master of Speed was left in the dust of the self-proclaimed Brown Ninja. (Though, in Griffin's defense, he was injured.)

    Dareth's wild sprint ended with him tripping and dropping down into an underground cavern tunnel thing. Its design was definitely out of place in the jungle setting, more like something high-tech Borg would create.

    He wheezed up as loudly as he could, "Uh... guys. I think—"

    He never got to finish his sentence as the rest of the Resistance caught up to him, tripping and tumbling as gracelessly as he had. Not long after, the Sons of Garmadon followed, creating a weird, painful dogpile.

    The tangled mass eventually righted themselves and separated. The adversaries glared at each other from opposite sides of the vast room.

    Lloyd was snapped out of his angry glowering and refocused on their objective by his mother, who gently tapped him on the shoulder. She spoke lowly to him, "Son, you must get the Realm Crystal before she does."

    Before he could give orders, Harumi commanded her gang, "Find the Realm Crystal, no matter what the cost!"

    The haggard Resistance braced themselves to fight the oncoming Sons of Garmadon. In the clash, everyone got separated. Some ran down the multiple tunnels to search for the Realm Crystal or use the winding corridors and surprise booby traps to their fighting advantage.

    Adding to the confusing fray, white Nindroids were activated to fend off all of the intruders. 

    The Sons of Garmadon were disappointed to find that Misako's and Mystaké's appearances were deceiving. The older women were not easy to fight against. During their previous tussle with Garmadon, the two ladies had found their combined combat skills were a formidable force.

    Dareth made for a good distraction as he ran down the confusing maze of corridors. Each booby trap narrowly missed him, but those following after the screaming Brown Ninja were not as fortunate.

    Ronin cautiously crept away, hoping to get his hands on the Realm Crystal without having to fight anyone. However, as he turned the corner, a dozen pair of red eyes bore into him, beginning to glow as they readied their lasers. He grimaced as he sprinted down the tunnel in the opposite direction, "Aw man."

    Similar to the mercenary, Shade was stealthily searching for the Crystal. Curse Borg's genius though. The Master of Shadow was a good tracker, but thanks to the twisting, identical tunnels, he was pretty certain he was going in circles. Hadn't he passed that flickering light before? Also, finding yet another decoy Crystal was super annoying.

    Mr. Pale had taken to staying close to Griffin, helping the Master of Speed fight off the attackers. He quickly disarmed any Sons of Garmadon he saw wielding a gun. Unfortunately, both were beginning to tire quickly from the strain of constant combat, but they were cornered with nowhere to run.

    Skylor utilized every Element absorbed in her arsenal, but there were too many to fight off. When a goon landed a lucky strike against her arm with his meaty fist, she decided it was time to use the cover of the corridor to her advantage. She used the Element of Speed to dash down the nearest tunnel, smirking as the Sons of Garmadon fell prey to the traps far behind her.

    Pixal's mech wouldn't fit down any of the tunnels, so she had to ditch it. While she desired to help the others fight, she was one of the few who knew the tricks of the maze. It would be best if she utilized her skills in the best way possible. Confidently, she dodged all the traps and strode past the White Sentries. It was almost too easy.

    Nya harshly lashed out against the Sons of Garmadon. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Generals and Harumi slipping away from the fray. Absolutely not! They would not be bringing further destruction to Ninjago. She pushed back the bikers around her with a burst of Spinjitzu and hurried after the four leaders.

    Lloyd masterfully navigated the twisting hallways. Of course the majority of the Sons of Garmadon had targeted him, but he shook them off his tail with a bit of leading them around in circles. Now, though his memory was slightly rusty, he knew exactly where to go. As he stepped into the chamber where the real Realm Crystal lay, his heart dropped at the sight of Harumi and her generals entering from a tunnel across from where he stood.

    Jade eyes locked with his emerald green eyes and both sides froze in place. The hesitation on Harumi's part cost her as fortune decided to finally throw crumb of luck to Lloyd. 

    Pixal swiftly entered behind Lloyd, assessed the situation, and stood at his side. From behind her Samurai helmet, her glowing green eyes settled coldly on the helmet-wearing Nindroid of the enemy. He too seemed to narrow his unsettling eyes at her.

    Both sides remained at a standstill. Neither seemed willing to make a move and incite a riot. This caused a small glimmer of hope to spark in Lloyd. Maybe Harumi was having a change of heart or conflicting emotions in the very least?

    Skylor came barreling in and immediately noticed the mounting tension. She padded up and stood steadfastly beside her friends.

    The standoff was broken when, without warning, Nya pounced on Harumi, taking advantage of the four's fixation on Lloyd, Pixal, and Skylor. A true fight broke out.

    Ultra Violet was the first to intervene, having been itching for a fight. She rammed into Nya and sent her sprawling away from Harumi. Both females screeched out enraged battle cries as they let out a flurry of vicious attacks.

    The Quiet One leaped to her feet and made a beeline for the Realm Crystal when she was intercepted by Lloyd. She noted the conflict and indecision in his eyes as he drew his blade. Internally, she smirked. That would make him all the more easy to take down. She pulled out her dagger and the Mask of Hatred.

    Lloyd's motions were mechanical, driven by pure muscle memory and instinct, as he fought for his life. He didn't want to hurt her. He knew he should want to—she was responsible for the deaths of his brothers for crying out loud—but his heart wouldn't let him. Instead of anger like Nya, his heart was filled with sadness and loss.

    As soon as the mess of activity broke out, Pixal and Mr. E seemed to immediately charge at each other. Frost curled around the Samurai's fingertips, but the calculating Nindroid was prepared for such a move. With her element and his Oni mask, they were almost evenly matched. The intensity of their blows was equal to Nya's and Ultra Violet's.

    With everyone already matched with an opponent, Skylor grimaced at the remaining general, Killow. She sighed under her breath, "Guess I'm fighting you." Despite the advantage of his larger bulk and the Mask of Deception, the Master of Amber held the advantage. In an instant, she disappeared. Killow couldn't fight what he couldn't see.

    "Harumi, please! You can't do this!" pleaded Lloyd as he crossed blades with Harumi. "Garmadon will destroy everything!"

    In the eerie, distorted voice of the Oni Mask, the Quiet One snarled, "To create a perfect world the Emperor must start anew. I lost everything! It's time others felt the same."

    "But inflicting more pain on others will do nothing to fill the bitterness in your heart!" came the loud, croaky voice of Mystaké from over the din of battle. 

    From behind her Mask, Harumi's eyes narrowed dangerously. That old woman had somehow managed to sneak in unnoticed and now casually leaned against the Realm Crystal's pedestal. She quietly observed Lloyd's surprise at seeing the lady.

    Feigning regret, she heaved a dramatic sigh. "Aww, you're absolutely right. It might not help... but it's worth a shot." With her last few words hurriedly blurted, she lunged at Lloyd, who had let his guard down, then rushed toward the Realm Crystal.

    The Green Ninja gave a pained cry as the dagger pierced his shoulder. In a burst of rage at seeing her injured brother, Nya sent a brutal blast of water which knocked Ultra Violet off her feet. The Water Ninja very nearly drove her spear through the downed general's heart before remembering herself, changing course, and sending the tip tearing through Ultra Violet's side in retribution for Lloyd.

    "NINJAAAA GOOO!" cried Nya as she spun toward Harumi, knocking her away right before the white-haired girl could reach the glowing gem.

    "NO!" exploded Harumi while she grappled against Nya as she watched Mystaké pluck the Realm Crystal from its pedestal and toss it to Lloyd who caught it with his uninjured arm.

    The Green Ninja let it drop to the ground and then held his blade threateningly above the gem.  "Stand down or I destroy it."

    The fighting slowed to a tense standstill. Despite the clear tension, Mystaké smiled and sighed. "Ah, that's better. Now I can hear myself think, can't you?" 

    Her dark, piercing gaze unsettled Harumi as her eyes were fixed directly on her. 

    "Now, we can talk," announced Mystaké diplomatically.

    "There's nothing to talk about," spat Harumi. The other Sons of Garmadon seconded her opinion. 

    They all remained rigid in their stances, but didn't make a move to attack. They couldn't risk Lloyd actually destroying the Realm Crystal.

    "Then I will talk," spoke Mystaké decidedly. Her dark eyes flashed dangerously as she began berating the Sons of Garmadon like schoolchildren.

    "Young idiots! You have no idea the dark powers your dealing with. You have no idea of what destruction your Dark Lord brings. Garmadon wants to summon the Oni! Oni! They are a consuming darkness whose only mindset is to kill all that is good."

    She didn't pull any punches as she continued to lay out cold, hard facts. "You thought the Great Devourer was bad?" Harumi visibly flinched. "The Oni will be ten times worse."

    Mystaké's eyes bore into the Quiet One as she searched the young girl. "Is this truly what you want?"

    The white-haired leader stood unmovingly, not taking off the Mask of Hatred. In the firmest tone she could muster, she replied, "Emperor Garmadon will keep them controlled. He wouldn't go that far."

    Lloyd interjected incredulously, unable to hold his tongue anymore. "Oh, he wouldn't?! Then when do you think he'll stop?!" His face twisted with pain, and he pointed to himself. "He certainly didn't stop when beating me, who was once his own son, into a bloody pulp. He didn't think twice about murdering children. And don't think I don't know about all the innocent citizens he killed in cold blood."

    He challenged her, wishing he could see her face underneath the Mask of Hatred, "So tell me, how far will Garmadon go until it's 'too far'?"

    It took nearly all Harumi's strength to keep her breathing steady and her limbs from trembling. She shoved her warring conscience to the side and harshly reminded herself, 'Remember the objective!' 

    She changed tactics from trying to be fiercely opposed to Lloyd. Her voice took on a softer tone as she removed the Oni Mask to appear more sincere. "Oh, Lloyd. I can see the pain on your face. To you, my Emperor's methods may look... extreme, but he will be the true savior of Ninjago. Why go through all the suffering just to put up futile resistance? Choose the easier path."

    "Like you said, you are his son. You can join him. Rule by his side. My side. I want you back."

    Silently, she searched her heart, wondering just how sincere her last sentence truly was. He did make for a valuable asset... and maybe something more if he truly did turn. He was... sweet though disgustingly persevering and overly caring. She quickly banished those treacherous thoughts from her mind.

    Nya called out the white-haired heartbreaker out in pure rage. "Liar! That's a load of walloper dung!"

    Lloyd's hardened green gaze wavered just a touch as he stared at the girl he thought he loved. 

    Harumi was disquieted by the pity she saw in his expression. After everything, he still worried, still cared. He was more foolish than a kicked puppy that keeps returning to its abuser. 

    "Your right. Following in Garmadon's footsteps would be easy," sighed Lloyd. After a pause, he added resolutely, "but I'd rather do what's right." 

    He brought his dao down on the Realm Crystal, shattering it. Giant shards flew in all different directions. Mystaké discreetly pocketed a sizable chunk that had landed at her feet.

    The Sons of Garmadon gaped at the fragmented gem in horror. They hadn't expected the Green Ninja to make such a bold move and destroy such a powerful artifact. Once Emperor Garmadon found out, they would all be dead meat.

    The Resistance carefully rushed past their stunned enemies, leaving the Sons of Garmadon to wallow in their terror. As Lloyd passed Harumi, he murmured, "I hope you'll see the light soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Mr. E was the first to make a move. He placed a hand on Harumi's shoulder. ".nodamraG rorepmE ot nruter tsum eW"

    The girl nodded numbly. She knelt, gathering every single piece of the Realm Crystal possible with her shaking hands. "Maybe the Emperor can still use these."

    Her generals hoped along with her. Otherwise, heads—their heads to be precise—were sure to roll. As Mr. E tended as best he could to Ultra Violet's injury and Killow helped the Quiet One collect the last of the shards, Shade awkwardly waltzed in. 

    "Aw man."

    He froze and before he could react or disappear, Mr. E pounced on him. A short scuffle ensued, ending when the biker smashed the pommel of his katana against the back of the Elemental Master's skull, knocking him out cold. 

    Killow nudged the limp body with his foot, making sure he was unconscious before throwing him over his shoulders. "Do you suppose this one will soften the Emperor's anger?"

    Worry was apparent in Harumi's voice. "Anything is worth a shot."

    As they navigated the twisting tunnels back to the rest of their gang, Ultra Violet piped up, "So... Oni? Why didn't we know about this?!" 

    She obstinately kept pace with the others, putting up an impressive front as she ignored the stab wound in her side that had only slightly begun to slow its bleeding. Killow had a few significant marks, dealt to him by the Master of Amber.  Mr. E was the most unscathed, though there was a slight trace of frost still clinging to his leather jacket.

    Harumi tried to apply reason to the revealed scheme, burying any doubt. "That old woman was probably lying, trying to scare us. Even if Emperor Garmadon is going to summon the Oni, they will serve him. With an army of Oni, the people of Ninjago and Lloyd will have no choice but to submit."

    Killow brought up an excellent, unsettling point. "But if the Emperor has the Oni, what use will we be to him?"

    It was an excellent query that Harumi feared the answer to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Despite the blow to the Sons of Garmadon and successfully driving off the rest of the gang back at the entrance, the Green Ninja's brows were knitted with worry as Pixal tended to his wounded shoulder. "Shade's not with you?"

    Mr. Pale shook his head. "He went to hunt for the Realm Crystal."

    "So he's still in the maze?" asked Lloyd in alarm.

    "Yeah, Ronin and Dareth ran in and haven't come out either," added Mr. Pale.

    Lloyd facepalmed. Some leader he was, losing a large chunk of his meager Resistance team.

    But it seemed that at the mention of their names, Dareth and Ronin appeared, sprinting down the same corridor and being chased by a large number of angry Sentry Nindroids. Both were mildly singed in places but mostly unharmed.

    Pixal stepped in to assist and halted the pursuing droids, much to Ronin's and Dareth's relief. She looked thoughtfully at one white-clad Sentry, "Perhaps they can shed some light on Shade's disappearance."

    After carefully tapping into one droid's security system, she linked into the maze's extensive video feed. The Samurai pinpointed the exact moment when Shade was captured. She reported with a touch of bitterness seeping into her tone, "It appears the Sons of Garmadon managed to capture the Master of Shadow."

    Lloyd began to fret. "Oh no, I'm awful at this. I can't be leader. I don't even have powers to fight. How am I supposed to inspire people when Garmadon always seems to grind us down? He's closer to summoning the Oni because I just lost another Master!"

    Nya gently wrapped him in a tight embrace before he could continue to work himself up more. "None of that. You're doing all you can, and that's all anyone can ever ask. You are doing amazing, dealing with... everything: putting up with me and my temper, putting together a force that can resist Garmadon, standing against that cold-hearted deceiver."

    She pulled back to stare Lloyd in the eye. "Don't you dare blame yourself, and don't you dare think you can't do anything. I—we," she motioned to the remaining Resistance," are still here, and we're ready to stand with you. Like I said on that broadcast, as long as I have my power, and breath in my body, I'm going to protect—not just Ninjago— but you. You're not alone in this, Lloyd."

    The others nodded and murmured their affirmations. 

    Lloyd felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He could see determination and tears shining in Nya's eyes as well.

    They had gone through so much in so little time. So much had changed. There had been no room for a flood of emotion to overwhelm them as they were largely preoccupied with surviving and fighting back. When it was all over, one way or another, they would definitely have to have a good, cathartic cry together.

    Breaking the heartfelt moment, Mystaké spoke up, "Young Master, catch." She tossed a piece of the Realm Crystal at him. 

    The Green Ninja fumbled with it for a second before firmly gripping it. "Wha?"

    "You weren't thinking ahead back there. Yes, you destroyed the Realm Crystal. Good for you. But magical artifacts, especially of that caliber, aren't so easily destroyed. They can be restored with the proper pieces and spells. I just covered your tails. You're welcome," croaked Mystaké.

    "Thank you," said Lloyd, truly grateful but mildly upset that he had made such a slip up. He looked out at his ragtag Resistance, biting his lip as he considered their next course of action. Silently, he marveled at how it was mostly non-Elementals that were left standing, him included. 

    For now, he directed, "Let's head back to Ninjago City."

    Unfortunately, as the Resistance moved out, utilizing some bikes from the defeated Sons of Garmadon, no one noticed that Mystaké had slipped away for a moment for a potty break. When she returned, she was very displeased to see them speeding away. She began to angrily mutter to herself as she started the long walk back. 

    "Ungrateful brats. I save their skins and they leave me. Tsk tsk. When I get my hands on them, they're gonna know true wrath."

    As they journeyed back, the Green Ninja carefully thought about each of their strengths and weaknesses. Ambitious inspiration struck him. Upon returning, he would discuss his new, risky plan with the Resistance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Only Harumi and her generals dared to stand before the Dark Lord, displaying their loss. They stood as still as statues and didn't dare meet his gaze as the Emperor attempted to mend the magical artifact. For now, his expression was unreadable.

    Soon, it was brought to the supreme ruler's attention that there was a missing piece of the Realm Crystal. He hissed in a low, threatening tone, "Where is it?"

    "What, my Emperor?" gulped Harumi, feigning ignorance to gain a precious few seconds to think.

    "The final shard of the Realm Crystal," growled her master. "Had you brought me all of the Realm Crystal, even in its broken state, I might have been able to overlook your obvious incompetence."

    Ultra Violet made the reckless move and her mouth got far ahead of her mind as she angrily mumbled, "At least we got most of it. We're the ones doin' all the work."

    Her pupils shrank as she realized her statement hadn't gone unnoticed.

    Purple sparks danced at the Dark Lord's fingertips. In response, his Colossus smashed a few buildings as he vented his fury. As much as he wanted, he couldn't kill these pawns yet, no matter how much of an annoyance they were. However, that didn't mean he couldn't teach them a lesson.

    Quick as a snake, he unleashed a small taste of his wrath on his underlings. His more brutal attacks were aimed at the metal man, as he could sustain the most damage, and the raven-haired general, who had dared to speak out of turn. When his fit of rage was over, he reveled in the terror that shone in the eyes of those foolish enough to fail him. 

    There was not one among them that wasn't bleeding in some form. However, he had grudgingly spared Harumi from the worst of it as she was less disposable and some vexing type of binding magic tied him to her from the resurrection. Destroying her wouldn't be prudent.

    "You may depart," dismissed Emperor Garmadon. He gave warning as they left, "Next time, if you dare to show your face without the last piece, I will cut you down one by one, starting with him." He pointed a clawed finger at the red-clad general who the big man was carefully helping to hobble along, while Harumi hastily gathered the droid's strewn parts.

    The Emperor's frown deepened as his thoughts turned towards the nuisance that claimed to be his son. Ha. If only that pathetic worm knew the truth of the matter. When his plans were executed, the Resistance would stand no chance. 

    Even now, his victory was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. At least, he now had the Master of Shadow in his possession. The remaining Masters were sure to skitter out of hiding if he crushed enough buildings. In the meantime, while his underlings sought out the Resistance and the final piece of the Realm Crystal, he could go take stock of the rest of the components for the gateway.

    Soon. His reign would be absolute, and his form would not have to be tethered to the weak soul of another. Hmph. At least that piece of the puzzle was safely locked away, out of the hands of the Green Ninja. It wouldn't do to give the fatherless child such a spark of hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The high-ranking Sons of Garmadon breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they were safely a few floors down. Injuries inflicted by Garmadon were added to the ones they had obtained from their scuffle with Lloyd's so-called Resistance.

    Ultra Violet sunk to the floor, blood pouring from multiple wounds as well as her reopened gash on her side. Killow also had multiple open cuts that needed tending to. Then poor, poor Mr. E's leg had been ripped clean off. 

    Fortunately, many goons were eager to supply assistance, not particularly out of care for the generals but out of hope to curry favor.

    In her heart, though Harumi loathed to admit it, she was beginning to realize that Lloyd had been right. She gingerly touched a finger to her bleeding cheek. But unlike the Green Ninja, she wouldn't dare to make such a foolhardy decision and stand up to such a powerful being. 

    Killow spoke softly, "Harumi, what have we gotten ourselves into?"

    The girl swallowed nervously before replying and reaffirming their position at the Emperor's side. "It's better to be bitter allies than suffer destruction." 

    Harumi pulled out the device she had swiped from the inventor. The screen lit up, pinpointing the exact location of the female android and, consequently, the rest of the Resistance. Though she and her generals were weary, she pushed them onward. "Come. It's time we hunt down the Resistance and end them."

Hey! Thanks for sticking with me through this story! Please comment and vote!

    "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." - Proverbs‬ ‭14:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬